Subject: Weird Walking Stick Scorpion
Geographic location of the bug: Guatemala City, Guatemala Zone 15
Date: 09/17/2017
Time: 11:03 AM EDT
I have seen 3 of these in my garage lately. I would like to know what it is and if it is dangerous for my toddlers.
How you want your letter signed: Thank you so much!
We found what appears to be the same species of Walkingstick on Project Noah where it is identified as “Autolyca elena Gorochov & Berezin, 2008″ referred to as a Scorpion mimic: “This is a walking stick which is imitating a scorpion. It is shiny black and carries the tail end curled up over the abdomen. It is remarkably like a scorpion in general appearance and behavior. However, it is phytophagous and not a predator nor can it sting. It also has extremely long antennae which are banded orange and black and of course, only 3 pair of legs. This is a male.” There are also images on iNaturalist. Some Stick Insects can spray chemical defenses, but we do not know if this is one of those species.
Thank you so much! I am a bit more at ease with the fact that it does not sting!