🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

The Australian Walking Stick is a large insect that can reach up to seven inches in length. These bugs have a distinct twig-like appearance. This helps them blend in with their surroundings and avoid predators.

Adults can release a defensive odor that humans might not find offensive as it “is rather reminiscent of peanut butter, vinegar or toffee”.

This stick insect is sexually dimorphic; that is, the male and female look very different.

Female adult are covered with thorn-like spikes for defense and camouflage. Their long, rounded bodies grow to about 8 inches (20 cm) long. The males are small and thinner, growing only about 11 cm in length and have three ocelli. Males lack the thorny growths except for spikes around their heads. They have long wings and are good flyers who readily take to the air if disturbed or in search of females.