Walking-stick

Walking-stick, the popular name of many Orthopterous insects of the family Phasmidæ, which strikingly resemble the twigs of plants. The body is long and slender, the legs are also twig-like, the wings are sometimes absent, sometimes rudimentary, sometimes leaf-like. Sluggish in their habits, herbivorous in diet, the walking-sticks are very effectively concealed by their resemblance to the plants on which they rest and feed. Rossi's Stick-insect (Bacillus rossii) in southern Europe, the American Diapheromera femorata, whose colour changes with that of the foliage, and large species of Phasma, sometimes measuring 10 inches in length, may be cited as representative. The Leaf-insects (Phyllinn) are nearly related. See MIMICRY.