Great Site!
I loved your site – but as you were featured in Real Simple Magazine, I’m afraid you will be more swamped. question: I live in Houston TX and what I thought was a fat walking stick found in the garage after heavy rains is probably a water scorpion that I put on the begonias. Luckily for me, he was lethargic. Is he really a water scorpion?
Kat Sundberg
Houston, TX
Hi Kat,
The Two-Striped Walkingstick, Anisomorpha buprestoides, is also known as a Muskmare or Devil Rider. This species can spray a noxious substance that will burn the eyes temporarily, and they have very good aim. We tried to pick Real Simple up at the news stand, but they only had the July issue.
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Posted 16 July 2006
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stick bug
This is the most unusual stick bug I have seen to date; it is about 9 inches long and the color is really green.
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
Our sources list the Giant Walkingstick, Megaphasma dentricus, as reaching 5 7/8 inches, so your specimen is a trophey for sure.
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Posted 15 June 2006
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Musk-mare
Here’s a photo of a musk-mare – didn’t know what it was ‘till I found your website. Thought you’d like a decent photo of the pair. Also, you helped me identify a mole cricket today. Strangest thing I’ve seen in a while. Thanks.
Gene Browning
Melbourne FL
Hi Gene,
Your photo of Mating Two-Lined Walkingsticks, or Muskmares, is great. Stay clear of the noxious fluid they are capable of spraying into your eyes.
Hi,
Here is another Panamanian bug. This cute walking stick climbed up my arm and into my hair. Something about my hair made him open his wings. I didn’t know walkingsticks have wings. Here are some pictures to add to your collection.
Lisa
Hi Again Lisa,
We were trying to catch up with some old mail and came across your letter. Many tropical Walkingsticks have wings and are capable of flight, though the U.S. species lack wings.
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Posted 21 March 2006
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Hi!
I am living in the country of Panama and work in a limestone quarry located inside some pretty dense rain forest. I see all kinds of weird unidentifiable (By me anyways!) bugs and had nobody to ask about them. I don’t like to kill them; only photograph them. I have several different bugs collected. Some very, very strange ones too. I would love to know more about them. Here are some pictures of one of them. I love the way this one "hides". Pretty impressive. It was taken in March of 2004. I have others, but I think I can only fit one at a time.
Thank you,
Lisa Palm
Buena Vista, Colon, Panama
PS. Oh yeah… I would love to know if it is poisonous
Hi Again Lisa,
We are loving all the exotica you are sending from Panama. We went back to your original letter on this one. That letter was waiting for our limited allotment of attention as we do not have a definitive answer for you. We suspect this is some species of Phasmid, the order that contains Walkingstick and Timemas. Some Walkingsticks, including the Musk Mare from the American South, can spray a noxious fluid that will temporarily irritate the eyes. We would like Eric Eaton to take a look at this critter because we always turn to him when we are in doubt.
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Posted 18 March 2006
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Animal in Madagaskar
Hello,
I’m asking from Germany for Identification of this animal I found in the rainforest near Andasibe / Perinet in Madagaskar. Thank you very much.
Yours
Christian
Hi Christian,
The Walkingstick you photographed in Madagascar is missing a front leg.
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Posted 12 February 2006
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Walkingstick Photo
We found this fascinating Walkingstick in the parking lot at St Andrews State Park, located in Panama City, Florida. My mother picked it up and moved it to the brush so it wouldn’t get run over. I came upon your website while trying to identify the bug – and now we know about it defense mechanism. Fortunately, this one didn’t feel threatened enough to spray us. Now that we know, we’ll certainly be more careful handling them in the future. Anyhow, I just wanted to share this picture with you and let you know how helpful your website is.
Thank you!
Suzanna Giddens
Hi Suzanna,
WE are very happy to find out the Muskmare didn’t spray your mother in the eye.
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Posted 12 November 2005
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MYSTERY DESERT INSECT
Mystery Insect
I found this insect while camping in the desert in southeastern California. Its colored exactly like the rock formations in that area. I caught it on a fence post in April of 2004 but it died on the way home. I’ve been collecting insects since I was 5 but I can’t figure out what this is. I thought it might be an immature cricket (without jumping legs!?). The specimen in the pic is 1/2 an inch long and had antennae that were about as long as the body and similar to a cricket’s. Please help. Thanx for any info.
Myke Miazio
San Diego,CA
Hi Myke,
This is a relative of Walkingsticks known as a Timema. They are found in the west and feed on oaks, ceanothus and firs.
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Posted 27 September 2005
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Walking Sticks
I found these while hiking. I thought it interesting that the male and female looked so different! I was on a hike in the Hoosier National Forest, near Paoli, IN.
Chad
Hi Chad,
We believe these are mating Northern Walkingsticks, Diapheromera femorata. We are waiting for a confirmation on that identification from Eric Eaton.
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Posted 25 September 2005
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Tagged: bug love
bug ID, please…
We found this bug on the wall in a bathroom at the state park on Galveston Island, Texas. It is about 7mm long. It is very dark brown. It does not appear to have wings. We have taken some time to try to identify him and found several other insects for my son’s insect project on your site. We thought he was a Rove Beetle, but the size doesn’t match the descriptions we have seen. We are now stumped. Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated! I enjoyed browsing your site.
Jane
Hi Jane,
We wrote to Eric Eaton to get an exact species on your Walking Stick. Here is his answer: “Yep, two-striped walkingstick, Anisomorpha buprestoides. You know they can spray an obnoxious liquid from glands in their "neck," right? People who encounter them should be careful. The spray can cause temporary blindness. They’re pretty accurate, too! Eric”
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Posted 15 September 2005
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Safe or unsafe bug in SC?
Hello:
My name is Bob Stark and I’ve recently moved to Little River, SC (North Myrtle Beach). This is a picture of an insect which we’ve been told is poisonous, and I would like to know if that is correct. Our home is 4 miles from the shore, and our backyard is bordered by a field. I’m guessing that the smaller one is the male, and that since this is late summer, it is mating season. Am I correct? This insect clings to our siding and at night, will cling on our screens, if we have an inside light on. When we moved in, the local movers refused to bring our furniture through the garage until we removed this insect, claiming it was poisonous. Our dog approached it, and apparently got sprayed in the face as she got near. I; however, got no reaction as I moved it along off our home. Thank you in advance for any information you may be able to provide as to it’s name and safety, as our Grandson visits from time to time, and I would like to provide him with the correct stats on this insect. For example: does is bite, sting, spray?
Sincerely,
Bob Stark
Hi Bob,
This is a pair of Two-lined Walkingsticks, Anisomorpha buprestoides, also known as Musk-Mares or Devil Riders because of their habit of remaining in coitus for extremely long periods of time. The male is much smaller than the female. Beware!! They do not bite but they can spray a noxious substance from their necks that is painful if it gets in your eye.
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Posted 20 August 2005
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Tagged: bug love
Walking Stick? ….or just a stick!
Hi. Wow! I love your site! First one that I’ve found that shows a variety of pictures of each type of insect/bug. Is this a walking stick….or my imagination? It only has two pair of legs.
Thanks! Linda Denny
Hi Linda,
It is not your imagination, but a for real Walking Stick. The third pair of legs is being carried foreward near the head which adds to the camouflage.
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Posted 19 August 2005
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