5 Facts About Stick Insects You Didn't Know

Stick insects, belonging to the order Phasmatodea, represent one of the most extraordinary examples of evolutionary adaptation in the insect world. Their uncanny resemblance to twigs and leaves isn’t just for show - it’s a sophisticated survival strategy honed over millions of years. In this post, we’ll uncover some of our favourite stick insect facts.

5 Facts About Stick Insects You Didn't Know

Three stick insect species live in the UK in the wild

Although there are no British stick insect species, three have become naturalised in the wild from New Zealand. They mainly live in the southwest of England and on the Isles of Scilly. They are the Prickly Stick Insect, the Unarmed Stick Insect, and the Smooth Stick Insect, with the Unarmed being the most common. It is believed that they arrived in the UK hidden as eggs in plants imported for the horticultural trade.

Some of the largest stick insects are bigger than you’d think!

The Jungle Nymph, native to Malaysia, is often considered one of the largest insects in the world. Females can measure up to 15cm and males an equally impressive 10cm. They are also considered the second heaviest insect in the world, behind the Big Beetle.

Stick insects are experts at camouflage

Stick insects have evolved over millions of years to blend in with the forest habitats they call home. Species like Macleay’s Spectre (aka Giant Prickly Stick Insects) are particularly good at this. They look awfully like spiny, thorny sticks, and when they moult, they’ll even hang under leaves to blend in. Even their eggs resemble seeds and often get carried into ants’ nests.

Stick insects can regrow limbs!

These creatures are experts at disguise but, if a predator isn’t fooled and grabs the insect, our talented stick insects can detach their limbs at will and escape. These will then grow back bit by bit with every moult.

Stick insects have some great defence mechanisms

As well as being able to detach their limbs, stick insects have some other brilliant ways of defending themselves against predators. American Walking sticks and Peruvian firesticks are both capable of spraying a chemical which makes their attackers temporarily blind and feel intense pain.