Species Insects & ArthropodsCommon Walkingstick

Common Walkingstick

Diapheromera femorata

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Common Walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata)

The Common Walkingstick is a long, slender, twig-mimicking insect that is virtually invisible when motionless among oak branches. It is the only common stick insect in the eastern US, sometimes reaching outbreak densities that cause audible leaf-shredding in oak forests. Unlike most insects its eggs have a fatty 'elaiosome' attachment that ants carry underground, aiding seed-like dispersal.

Habitat
Oak and mixed deciduous forests
Diet
Adults and nymphs: oak and other deciduous foliage
How common
Common

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