Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Insecta - insects
Order: Phasmatodea - walking sticks and leaf insects
Family: Phasmatidae
Common names: Stick insect. Walking stick
Stick insects are a group of plant-feeding insects characterised by a remarkable similarity to their host vegetation.
Stick insects belong to the insect order Phasmatodea and are found throughout the world, being most common and diverse in the tropics.
Stick insects feed on vegetation and are usually active after dark. When disturbed, stick insects will often fall to the ground and 'play dead' for hours. Another bizarre behaviour is the 'dance', where the stick insect sways back and forwards for hours in a peculiar motion, the function of which is a mystery.
Many stick insect species, including some New Zealand species, can reproduce without males, a mode of reproduction known as parthenogenesis.
Although stick insects are relatively common in New Zealand introduced wasps and possums are a threat in some areas.
The photo below is of an unidentified stick insect with a body length approx 22mm. It was found on a fence post at 750 masl in a rural area on Pungatawa Rd, East Taihape.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
