Love is in the air for these two stick insects (the female
is the paler and slightly thicker of the two). Northern Walkingsticks (Diapheromera
femorata) are relatively common to the eastern woods and feed primarily on the
leaves of oak tree species once mature. After mating, this female stick insect
will lay hundreds of tiny seed-like eggs which simply drop to the forest floor
to overwinter in the leaf litter. In the spring, the eggs hatch and tiny green
colored stick insect nymphs emerge and feed on a wide variety of woody
vegetation. By the time late summer and early fall rolls around, most of these
incredible twig mimics are happily ensconced in the canopy of an oak tree.
Strong winds and encounters with predators can cause the insects to fall to
lower levels of the forest. Luckily for us it is in these instances when we can
catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures!
