Walking Stick Insect
I found a walking stick insect on the screen in my office today. I was talking to my Mom on the phone and squealed with delight when I spied it. I told my Mom I had to go because I need to take a picture of it. I am thankful walking stick insects don’t move to quickly and are not startled by me getting close. I put my camera lens about 6 inches from him and he proudly posed so I could snap several photos. He even lifted his back leg twice, now that I think about it maybe he was peeing, hmmm. Now I need to quit calling it a him, I know it is a female because it doesn’t have wings.
When I was a kid me and my brother used to find walking sticks all the time. It is very rare for me to find one anymore. I normally see one on the outside of our cabin about once a year, but that is all. We also used to find salamanders in the garden but I haven’t seen one since I was a youngster, they were always black with bright blue spots. It was so fun finding them, they always remind me of a prehistoric dinosaur of sorts. Me and my brother would drag them home and play with them for a while and when we grew tired of them, we would plant them back in the garden beneath the soil they were churned up from.
Nature is amazing how it protects itself. I’m sure this creatures stick design is to keep predators from eating it and it’s slow moving crawl make it able to remain in one position for so long that it’s attacker gets bored and moves on. Have you found any amazing insects lately?
I remember these from living out in the country as a kid. Haven’t seen one in ages!!!
Got some good closeups of cicadas the other day…I have tall grasses and one stalk was bent down after a rain. ( another rain on a different day bent down WAY more of them, lol ) but anyway…there were two cicadas, mating I suppose. They were not going anywhere so I was able to get some good closeups of them.
Deb, what a wonderful photo opportunity. I always have my camera ready, you never know when a photo shoot will crop up. My hubby says we don’t see them much anymore because of all the pesticides we use on crops and grass. Sad that we are wiping out such unique creatures.
I love these ! I think the last time I saw one was camping up at Port Crescent state park. I was so excited to see one again. Aren’t they just the coolest insects? I remember salamanders too and I used to see praying mantis all the time but seldom see them any more. On the other hand there are lots of wild things that I had never seen until the past few years. Sand hill cranes, turkey buzzards, wild turkeys, (we had two adults and about 12 babies walk through the yard last week!). Maybe it’s harder to see the smaller creatures now that we are all grown up?
Kathleen, I live in the stix and see turkeys, deer, sandhill cranes, and buzzards every day. Every morning when I walk something crosses my path, this morning it was 5 deer in on pack and 3 in another. Plus a mama turkey with 12 babies. I occasional see a coyote crossing the field too. I hadn’t thought about praying mantis, I haven’t seen one of those in ages either. I will have to be on the lookout now. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in:)
I was so excited to see your stick bug,me and my sister used to find them when we were little,
I havent seen one in a very long time, however, the hubby and I were out back the other night and
I saw…..get ready…….here it comes…..lightening bugs!!!! We both got so excited about it, it has been so long since we have seen any, Lord, they used to light up the night when I was a yungun. Lol
Amy, wow good experience for you:) We see lightening bugs here every night all summer long. I had some family visit from NY once and they have always lived in the city. They looked up into the cold, dark sky on a winters night and said “the stars are so bright here’, they don’t see that in the city and they were so amazed. They thought I lived deep in the county, they couldn’t believe I lived on a dirt road. LOL I love country living!
We have always lived in the country, we grew up in the country in Ga. my hubby was transfered to Fal. 8 yrs ago and we really miss it, we live in a subdivision in Central fl. but we have a lake out back and a thicket of pines behind the lake, That is as “country” as it gets here LOL, but we do still get to fish and enjoy some wildlife here, lots of birds, but we had not seen any lightening bugs all summer, They spray pretty heavy here for mosquitos and finally this year we were able to stop them from sprayin from the trucks and it has made the lightening bugs come back, and also the bats, which are much better at mosquito control and so much better for our environment…I wish more subdivisions would do this here, We still have 113 acres in Ga. and will return one day sooner than later we hope :)…..My Mother in Law lives on the propert now and keeps our little piece of nature going…We have a couple of cows, some chickens and goats, and she plants a big veggie garden every year and we get to reap the benefits from that :), sorry I didn’t mean to ramble LOL…..Loved the blof about the stick bug though…brought back memories, and I am going to keep my eyes peeled …
Oh your place sounds wonderful, I bet you hated to leave it:( My hubby grew up in Florida part of his teenage years, and my parents live there in the winter months. It is sad that they spray and keep the lightening bugs away. I agree that stuff should be banned, nature will take care of its self if we just let it.
Growing up in Michigan I remember finding these little creatures on occasion. We use to call them stick bugs. Brings back memories of when I liked bugs as a kid!!!!!! Ha Ha not so much now!!!!
Kris
Kris, these are special bugs and can still be liked by adults:) Not so sure I would be as excited with a big hairy spider. LOL I think they are called stick bugs too.
Amazing. I’ve seen them, too, but very rarely nowadays! There something very mid-century modern about their design! Great photos, my friend.
xo
Claudia
Hubby says we don’t see them because of al the pesticides that are used now days:( How sad is that.
I LOVE IT!! Doesn’t God create the coolest creatures?!?!
Cindy, I so agree:) I squealed like a little kid when I found it.
Dawn
A very lucky shot you got. It’s amazing!
I’m wondering if the walking sticks are becoming extinct.
Kimberly, my husband says it’s killing them off from all the pesticides that are used now days:( How sad.
What a cool picture! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one of these!
Susan
Susan, you have to be on the lookout for one now. Put that on your to-do-list. LOL
I would have done the same thing too! How cool!!! I have never seen one!
xo Kris
Kris, what you have never seen one? Darn, you need to be on the lookout now that you know they exist. They are so cool.
Now that is cool Dawn! Never ever saw one.
What Debbie, you have never seen one? It seems there are several people who haven’t maybe they don’t live in the south.
Hi Dawn! Oh, you did so good on your snaps! I haven’t seen one of these in so long. Love those little twiggy green legs! 🙂
Thanks for popping in and I hope you’re having a good weekend.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 🙂
Shelia, you seem to be like several others and have not seen one in a long time. It looks like these stick creatures are hard to find.
Isn’t she just fabulous! I didn’t know that about the wings. I haven’t seen one around here in years, and I just love them too. We’re lucky to have lots of lizards (anoles) around here, I would send you one if I could! there must be dozens of babies in our garden right now, they are only about one inch from head to tail. Love the photos!
Andrea, I love the little lizards. I used to chase them in Florida when I went to my grandparents house. My son had a bearded dragon for years, one of the ones that get about 9 inches long. Such cool critters.
Cool pics! I was always afraid of devil’s darning needles or walking sticks!! Now I don’t freak out quite so much. I have a friend in the donkey barn, a beautiful garden spider with a beautiful web. Mind you, I’m normally skeert of spiders too.. lol.. but I take exception to the Garden Spider. Happy Labor Day weekend to you and yours.. hope it’s a good one!
Tammy, I have never heard of them referred to as devil’s darning needles. What a cool term. I will have to remember that!
I haven’t seen a walking stick insect in ages! They are so cool….they don’t even look real!
Melanie, I know they are such amazing insects. I have had so many comments of people who say they seldom see them anymore. Sad that we are spraying pesticides everywhere and killing the poor things off.
We as kids used to love to see the “walking stick bugs”…brings back lots of memories!…
Shirley, I have heard from many that it brings back childhood memories. Wish I would see them more often, once a year isn’t enough.