Stick+Insect-+Indianna

**//Introduction//**
 * THE AMAZING WORLD OF STICK INSECTS **

Welcome to the wonderful and exciting world of Stick Insects, otherwise known as phasmids. Now I would like to take you on a journey through the interesting world of Stick Insects. A stick insect is a type of mini beast that people sometimes think are a part of a tree or branch because of their wonderful ability to resemble any stick or leaf they are on. **//Anatomy//** Adult stick insects can grow up to 36 cm long and when a baby stick insect is born it is 1cm long. Stick Insects have an abdomen, thorax, 2 antennae, a head, 2 compound eyes, jaws, coax, femur and six long jointed legs. Stick insects can camouflage in with bark of trees and sticks. **//Habitat//** Some such as the Goliath Stick Insect are found in the forested areas of eastern Australia, there are also species which occur in arid, coastal and monsoonal environments.

**//Feeding and Predators//** Stick Insects eat leaves off plants, ivy and holly. Eucalyptus (gum) leaves are eaten by all Stick Insects. The predators of stick insects include birds and the ant eater, which eats the eggs of a stick insect. Some species of stick insects can spray fluids when they are threatened but it is not poison

**//Food//** //**Chain**// Eucalyptus leaves Stick Insect Birds/Reptiles


 * //Reproduction//**

Stick insects do not have to mate in order to produce eggs. The females are able to lay eggs without the sperm of a male. If the stick insect reproduces in this manner all the eggs will be female, if the stick insect reproduces with a male she can have female or male babies. **//Lifecycle//** Female stick insects can lay eggs after they are six months old. These eggs are hard and like little seeds. Some species of stick insect eggs spend up to 1 to 3 years underground before hatching. Female stick insects can live up to 18 months and males have a shorter life of 6-8 months.

**//Did you know?//**
 * Stick insects are related to Grasshoppers, Crickets and Cockroaches.
 * When stick insects hatch there will only be 1 male to 1000 females.
 * They can change their colours to blend into their surroundings to camouflage from there predators.
 * There are more than 3000 species of stick insects.



** By Indianna Parsons **