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Giant walkingsticks
Megaphasma denticrus
29.4922, -99.1296
Field Notes
Description:
The female was approximately 7 inches in length including the antennae, and the male was about 5 inches in length. The female had deeper shades of green and also had brown and yellow markings with a stripe of off white. The male was more yellowish/tan in color with a lighter shade of green than the female. Mimicry resembles twigs.
Habitat:
Found in the southern United States within forests, woods, and grasslands. This mating pair were found in an oak tree on a large wooded property.
Diet: grass, leaves of oaks, dogwoods, hackberry, hickory, pecan, wild cheery, basswood, and birch.
Notes:
I was taking a walk with my brother when we happened upon these mating walkingsticks. We would have walked right by them and not even noticed if it were not for a giant spider's web blocking our path. It was a cool find!
FUN FACT: It has the ability of self amputating (autotomy) a limb if it feels the need to due to a posing threat or attack from another creature. It can then regenerate a new limb.
Ref: https://beetlesinthebush.com/2009/08/21/north-americas-longest-insect/
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