- Common Name: Stick Bug
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Cohort: Polyneoptera
- Superorder: Orthopterida
- Order: Phasmatodea
13 Stick Bug Facts for Kids
- Stick bug is a common name for a large group of insects in the Phasmatodea order.
- Stick bugs can also be commonly called bug sticks, stick insects and walking sticks.
- It’s estimated there are over 3,000 different species of stick bugs in the Phasmatodea order.
- Stick bugs have a head, thorax and abdomen.
- Stick bug species are commonly black, brown and green or multiple variations of these colors.
- The size of a stick bug varies by species. Smaller species are around 0.5 inch long, while large species can grow to be longer than 12 inches.
- There are three stages of the stick bug’s lifecycle, and they are egg, nymph and adult.
- The average lifespan of a stick bug is between one and two years.
- Stick bugs are herbivores and use their strong mandibles to eat leaves off a tree.
- Stick bugs use camouflage as a defense against predators. They can mimic plants and are very effective at replicating the form of sticks and leaves.
- Stick bugs can regenerate their limbs if they are broken off. They can sacrifice a limb to escape from a predator.
- The laboratory stick insect (Carausius morosus) can produce asexually, meaning it doesn’t need a mate to produce offspring. In fact, there have been no reports of male laboratory stick insect found in the wild.
- The Chan’s megastick (Phobaeticus chani) is the longest stick bug in the world. With its legs fully extended, it can reach up to 22 inches in length.
Stick Bug Pictures
A picture of a stick bug (Anisomorpha buprestoides).Credit: Unknown
A picture of a large stick bug on the hand of a human.Credit: leokimvideo / YouTube
A picture of a stick bug walking on a large table.Credit: Kathy Keatly Gravey
Additional Resources on Stick Bugs
- Stick Insects – Explore the San Diego Zoo website to learn more about stick insects.
- Walking Sticks – Discover more amazing facts about walking stick insects on the National Wildlife Foundation website.
- Phasmatodea – Wikipedia – Learn more about the Phasmatodea order of insects that contains stick bugs via the Wikipedia website.