Leaf and Stick Insects: Order Phasmatodea
Phasmids are insects that eat leaves and resemble leaves or sticks. They are usually green or brown but may reveal brightly coloured underwings when they fly. They have developed many unusual shapes to camouflage themselves to avoid detection by predators. The order Phasmatodea includes the longest insects in the world.
Habitat and Distribution
About 150 species of phasmids are found in Australia. They usually live in gum trees but are sometimes found in gardens on rose bushes or fruit trees. However because of their excellent camouflage, they are often overlooked. When disturbed, a phasmid may sway, imitating a dead leaf or stick swaying in the breeze. During summer many people have found stick and leaf insects in the laundry, clinging to windows, and drowned in swimming pools. The attractive green and pink Podacanthus typhon is one species that is often found.
Most species of phasmids are quite rare but a few such as Podacanthus wilkinsoni can occasionally occur in plague numbers, causing extensive damage to eucalypt forests. In the 1960s, a series of devastating outbreaks occurred in mountain forests of Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Other species that can reach high densities include Didymuria violescens, and Ctenomorphodes tessulatus.
Appearance
Marked variations in body features and colours occur in many species of phasmid. Horns, spines and lobes on the abdomen or the legs, may be more or less developed, or completely absent, in the same population. Some species have green and non-green forms. Many of these features may also vary geographically, together with overall size, relative wing length, and the colour of the hind wings, if present.
The longest Australian phasmid is the Titan Stick Insect (Acrophylla titan) which can grow to 25 cm long.
Reproduction
Many female phasmids do not need to mate in order to produce fertile eggs. This form of reproduction is called parthenogenesis and all the eggs produced will hatch into females. If the females do mate with a male before producing eggs, the nymphs (babies) may be male or female.
Spiny Leaf Insects
One interesting Australian phasmid is the Spiny Leaf Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum), also called Macleay's Spectre Stick Insect. The females of this species have very large bodies but very short wings and are unable to fly. The males are long and slim with fully developed wings. Spiny Leaf Insects are popular pets in Australia and also overseas.
Female Spiny Leaf Insects are not only larger than the males, but also live longer, surviving for up to 18 months. They lay thousands of eggs during their adult life, flicking them onto the ground below their perch. The eggs have a knob, called a capitulum, which is attractive to ants. Ants carry the eggs back to their underground nests, eat only the knob, and leave the rest of the egg in the nest, protected from other animals that might eat it. The young phasmids (or nymphs) hatch after one to three years underground and look and behave like red-headed black ants. They emerge from the ant nest and climb rapidly upwards, looking for soft green leaves. In a tree, they moult into a green or brown, slow-moving leaf mimic. The females live for about 18 months, while the males are only short-lived, surviving for around 6-8 months.
Back from the Brink - the Lord Howe Island Phasmid
The Lord Howe Island Phasmid or Land Lobster (Dryococelus australis) may be the rarest insect in the world, and possibly also the rarest invertebrate. It was originally found only on the remote Lord Howe Island (700km NE of Sydney), but was thought to have been extinct for the last 80 years, after decimation by rats introduced after a shipwreck in 1918. However, in February 2001 three living specimens were found by a team from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Australian Museum and the Lord Howe Island Board on the remote pinnacle of Ball's Pyramid (16km south of the island). The NPWS is now preparing Interim Recovery Actions to protect the species, along with a Species Recovery Plan. It is hoped that the large flightless insect (15cm long) may one day be reintroduced to its former range.
References
- Clyne, D. 1978. How to Keep Insects as Pets. Angus & Robertson: Australia.
- Horne, P.A. and D.J. Crawford. 1996. Backyard Insects. Melbourne University Press.
- Hughes, L. 1996. When an insect is more like a plant. Nature Australia 25(4 ): 30-38.
- Wilson, S. K. 1990. Throwing your babies at the enemy. Geo: 12(4): 106-113.
- Rentz, D.C.F. 1996 Order Phasmatodea: Leaf and Stick Insects. Pp 244-257 in Grasshopper Country. UNSW Press: Sydney.
For enquiries relating to these insects in the Australian Museum collection please contact the Collection Manager
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Stick insect View full size
Andrew Howells
© Australian Museum
Stick insect, feeding View full size
D Nelson
© D Nelson
Stick insect eggs View full size
A Healy
© Australian Museum
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26 comments
Dave Britton
9.02 AM, 06 February 2012
Hi,
It is a female of the Goliath Stick-insect Eurycnema goliath.
proutsonbuderim
3.02 PM, 02 February 2012
Hi Saved this stick insect from a fly that was bothering it and would like to know what it is exactly? Cheers
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Steve Vogel
4.02 PM, 01 February 2012
Hi Doc Pete,
In the AM's Search & Discover section, we keep up to 5 species including Spiny Leaf and Children's Stick Insects together with no adverse effects. We have not observed scavenging on a carcass like you describe but have seen nibbling on moults on occasion so that is possible. You should have no problems adding another species as long as your terrarium is large enough and well stocked with forage for all your critters. Good luck!
Doc Pete
9.01 PM, 18 January 2012
Hi Dr Britten, My son has become an avid insect enthusiast, and has a terrarium with 3 spiny stick insects - 2 female and 1 male. Yesterday walking at the beach he found a children's stick insect on the trunk of a Morton Bay Fig. We brought it home and put it in with some fresh eucalyptus but I suspect it was sick or injured, because it died overnight. However this morning there were also some apparent "bite" marks on the wings that I'm sure were not there before going into the cage. Is it possible the Spiny Stick insects were responsible for this? It is such an impressive creature I was thinking of purchasing one or more of them, but won't if it is likely to be injured. Does the museum have any experience of mixing these species?
Dave Britton
4.01 PM, 11 January 2012
Hi Vanessa,
It is a male of the Ringbarker Stick-insect Podacanthus wilkinsoni. These are sometimes pests in eucalypt pforests, particularly in the higher parts of the Dividing Range, but they are very widespread throughout NSW and SE Queensland.
VBerry
10.01 PM, 10 January 2012
Hi Dave, I found this insect on a train, of all places! I thought it would be happier outside so when I got off the train I rescued it and put it in a nearby garden. Now I'm wondering what it is. Thanks, Vanessa.
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Mark B
9.06 AM, 02 June 2011
Thanks Dave,based on photos on line, that is the correct identification. I was wondering if the long antennae signified a male, especially as it has not gotten any plumper, but it seems to feed well. With female Childrens having equally long antennae and having seen smaller, similar looking stick insects in the wild locally, it left me in doubt. From the photos that I have now seen it would appear that the larger "immature" stick insects that I have found previously are in fact females of this species. Thanks again.
Dave Britton
11.06 AM, 01 June 2011
Hi Mark, I'm guessing by the size and the long wings and antennae that it is a male of a margined-winged stick-insect Ctenomorpha marginipennis. This species is relatively common along the Dividing Range between South Australia and SE Queensland.
Mark B
12.05 PM, 31 May 2011
I would like to identify this species of stick insect, found at Mornington, Victoria, please. It is in with our Children's and Spiny Stick Insects. This one is in the larger size range of the local stick insects, so it may be a female, but I am not sure.
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Dave Britton
11.03 AM, 10 March 2011
Alexis, I am not aware of any viral or other diseases which would be transmitted between the nymphs and the other stick insects. It would seem unlikely that any pathogens would work that quickly as well. Some stick insects have glands that secrete noxious fluids, but I do not think these are present in Childrens stick insects, and most Australian phasmid species do not seem to have them. I don't have an answer at this stage.
Alexis
12.03 PM, 09 March 2011
Thanks for your reply, Dr Britton Sorry if I didn't explain myself properly. The spur legged's were all adults and eating voraciously until the introduction of the children's nymphs. Then, within two days, every one of the spur legged's was dead and the nymphs continued to thrive. It just struck us as being very odd.
Dave Britton
6.03 PM, 08 March 2011
Hi Alexis,
First instar stick insects which have just hatched are notoriously difficult to get established. They seem to have a death wish, and rather than settle and eat will crawl to corners of cages and die of starvation. I've put a few hints in earlier comments that might help next time.
Alexis
9.03 AM, 08 March 2011
Hi Dr Britton, My partner was given some stick insect eggs which hatched into Spur Legged stick insects. He also found a Children's stick insect female outside which he took care of and she subsequently laid eggs too. They have all hatched (the Spur Legged insects are all 2nd generation clones from unfertilized eggs). He placed the Children's stick insects nymphs in a large enclosure with the Spur legged insects and within a day or two of the Childrens final molt, all the Spur legged insects had died. The Children's insects are thriving so we ruled out pesticide contamination of their leaves. Do you know why this might have occurred? Thanks in advance
Dave Britton
9.02 AM, 16 February 2011
Hi Jan,
That is the same grasshopper that is identified in the comment below.
Jan
10.02 AM, 11 February 2011
Unknown insect found on a post in our mallee scrub. What is it?
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Dave Britton
12.10 PM, 25 October 2010
That is a nymph of the bark-mimicking gr[Removed] Coryphistes ruricola - not a stick insect. This is a widespread species with many colour variations. The behaviour of swaying as if in the wind is used by a number of different insect groups as a way of providing extra camouflage. It is not restricted to stick insects.
bc_wilby
7.10 PM, 24 October 2010
Hello. We were walking in the bush in central Victoria today and came across this cute little stick insect... any ideas? It had a very distinct dark line down its back and was only about 5cm long. It also 'swayed' when we got close, like we've seen larger stick insects do. Thanks for your help!
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Dave Britton
11.05 AM, 20 May 2010
Hi,
This is a female of the goliath stick insect, Eurycnema goliath. They are one of the more popular species to keep as pets. If you keep it inside you will probably get eggs (if you are interested).
todd
8.05 PM, 16 May 2010
Hi, My 5 year old son, who is a bit of an insect nut, found this amazing creature today when we were doing some weeding (I think I may have chopped down it's tree - a weed pepper tree). We put it back in the lemon scented tea tree next to the pepper tree - hope it'll be OK. What is it ?
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Dave Britton
3.04 PM, 14 April 2010
Hi Michaela,
I'd need an image or a more detailed description before I could identify your insect - feel free to put one up here.
cheers,
Dave.
michaela
3.04 PM, 05 April 2010
Hi. I put a comment on the egg page but thought I would write here too. I have some stick insects, the largest is brown with wings and is about 20cm long, the others are brown or green. The little ones are green, I was told the green are female and the brown male. They eat eucalypt leaves. They lay tiny black eggs with a white bit on them. I just want to know what they are exactly so I can look after them properly and also so I know what to do with the eggs.
Dave Britton
3.02 PM, 04 February 2010
Hi Patrick,
Removing the eggs gives you a bit more control over problems such mould and unexpected emergence of the nymphs. This species usually has quite a long period between egg lay and egg hatch (6-8 months or more), so I would think removing them would be appropriate. To try and minimise mould you should put them in sterilised jars or Petri dishes (use boiling water) in which you have put sterile sand (heat it in an oven). Wait about 4 months, then start lightly spraying the eggs and sand with clean water every now and then, and you might be lucky with some starting to hatch out.
Mr D
2.01 PM, 28 January 2010
Hi Dave. Im a primary school teacher and have got a number of Spiney Leaf Insects living in a large box terrarium I made with a couple of other stick insects. I was wondering what we should be doing with the eggs? Some people say put them into a sealed container, others say leave at bottom of cage with all the leaf litter.
Roseclipt
1.11 PM, 11 November 2009
Dear Dr. Britton, I have what I think is a female Titan stick insect on a Camden White Gum. Problem is, the gum is only 2 metres high. I presume she has been disturbed from one of our mature Ironbarks. She seems quite happy and has been there for a couple of weeks. Should I move her as high as I can in one of the Ironbarks, or leave her where she is? Thanks, Lesley.
Dave Britton
8.10 AM, 10 October 2009
Hi Dane, Sounds like you have a female, so with any luck she will start laying eggs soon, so you will have even more entertainment. These insects are not particularly rare, even in urban Sydney, but people usually only see them after storms or birds have knocked them out of a tree. If you feel you can't look after her, I'm sure the Search and Discover section at the Museum would like to have her. They do not have many titans in their stick insect colony.
Dane
2.10 PM, 07 October 2009
Hello. I have a Titan stick insect in my room. It just seems to sit there and stare in to space. It doesn't seem to care when I handle it. It's approximately 30Cm in length. Is it rare to come across one that large in size? Do you want it? I don't know what to do with it. It is a very interesting insect. Contact me back!
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