Thread: Amazing stick insect

This incredible “bramble” appeared on a Red Band gumboot this morning. I thought it was stuck on the boot and damn nearly grabbed it to pull it off. Check out the astonishing replication of a bramble stick, complete with sharp thorns. How on earth do they do this?

Nice photos, interesting subject.

https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/d...stick-insects/

Very cool.

I haven't seen the spikey ones before. amazing camouflage for sure

Awesome. Must be the season.

I just had this fearsome alien sneak in the home office window and take a liking to the camo beanie that was sitting next to the coffee cup. Gave me a hell of a fright.

Wow, that’s cool. Thanks for sharing.

I wish now that I’d got out the wife’s SLR and wide angle closeup lens.

If I see it again, it’s getting the full photographic treatment as I can’t find anything on the web that looks like this.

Ha! It’s probably known as the “common stick insect”, what do I know?

Its a Prickly Stick Insect (Acanthoxyla prasina).

Nice find.

Male; a real thin one. The females are more plump, and the spines appear - perhaps as a result - as less pronounced.
But not as plump as this, a marvel of the Stick Insect world in more ways than one!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryococelus_australis

It lives here - and only here (until rediscovered and bred in captivity) in what could be described as the most spectacular place on earth:

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

Awesome. Must be the season.

I just had this fearsome alien sneak in the home office window and take a liking to the camo beanie that was sitting next to the coffee cup. Gave me a hell of a fright.

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I have a bush that these breed in I think. The bush is known to have caterpillars in (not the bulldozer type) which spin some leaves together and cocoon themselves up in them, they make a mess out of the bush and deform all the leaves. But last few years I havent noticed the caterpillars but instead have noticed a dozen or more preying mantis of mostly varying in size from very small to medium, I think they must be after the caterpillars. They do a great job at protecting the bush. I think they eat quite a range of bugs, so Im happy to see them around.

Neat picture.

Originally Posted by rugerman

I haven't seen the spikey ones before. amazing camouflage for sure

Same here, didnt know they exist, only seen the 'slick' brown or green ones....very cool

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

Awesome. Must be the season.

I just had this fearsome alien sneak in the home office window and take a liking to the camo beanie that was sitting next to the coffee cup. Gave me a hell of a fright.

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Dont watch 'Starship Troopers' if the praying mantis gave you a fright

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Imagine if they grew to six feet long. Horror movie stuff.

There are a few humans around that look like that?

Originally Posted by Flyblown

This incredible “bramble” appeared on a Red Band gumboot this morning. I thought it was stuck on the boot and damn nearly grabbed it to pull it off. Check out the astonishing replication of a bramble stick, complete with sharp thorns. How on earth do they do this?

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That is so cool. I thought it was a mock-up because it is just so extraordinary. Thank you for posting something I have never seen before

The spiny green ones here are smart. They know they are spiny, and so live on the Rimu. Their cousins - the smooth greens - live on the Rata. For anyone interested, the eggs can be collected and hatched out in spring, though I see that none of the insects here are currently laying, perhaps it has been a bit dry, and there aren't as many around as usual either.