Stephanie the Stick Insect

 Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our family. We discovered Stephanie under the ever enlarging leaves of the broccolini in our greenhouse. She too has grown over the months and is now about 15cm long.

Stephanie in the broccolini leaves

Her appearance in the greenhouse, and the fact that she is alone, prompted me to do some research and I was surprised at what I read. In Australia there are about 150 species of stick insect; the largest is the ctenomorpha gargantuan which grows to 56cms!

They are often not easy to spot because of their ability to blend in with the foliage; and that's because they look like sticks or in some cases, leaves. They are so good at hiding themselves that they often can't find each other! So nature has provided a solution. Female stick insects don't need a mate to reproduce. The female can lay her unfertilised eggs that hatch into females. And if she does find a mate, then her eggs will hatch into both females and males.

Unlike other insects, stick insects eat the entire leaf, so its hard to see where they've been. They will sway slightly if surprised or drop to the ground and look just like a snapped stick. When threatened, some flash open their wings to reveal a bright colour and vibrate loudly. Others may drop a leg which, in the young can be regrown at their next moult.

Basically, they are peace-loving vegetarians and I'm happy for Stephanie to occupy her place in our greenhouse.