Identification, Morphological features, Importance in Forestry, Control options.

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2. Stick Insects
Phasmatidae
Phasmida
 About 2500 species
Most important species:
 Carausius morosus : Indian walking stick has a wide host range and used in pet trade,
able to change their pigmentation
 Eurycantha calcarata : Giant Spiny Stick Insect is Oil pal pest
 Ctenomorphodes tessulatus : violescens has a wide range of hosts, mostly in the
family Myrtaceae (southern Queensland)
 Graeffea crouani:in coconut plantations in the South Pacific
 Diapheromera femorata: in North America
 Podacanthus wilkinsoni :Australia
 Didymuria violescens :Australia
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3. Egg:
 Seed like, 100 to 1,200 eggs
 Singly or in batch
 On ground or in soil
 Uperculum , Capitulum
Nymph:
 It is difficult to distinguish larger nymphs
from adults.
 Usually six instars,
 25% increase in length in each instar
 often eats its old skin
Incubation:
 One month to one year
 Parthenogenesis in some species
Adult:
 Chewing mandibles
 Compound eyes but some have ocelli
 antennae, as long or longer than the
length
 Macroterous, brachytarous, apterous
 Remarkable mimicry of twigs and leaves
 1.5 centimetres to over 30 centimetres
(12 in) in length
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Extatosoma tiaratum
Phobaeticus serratipes
up to 56.7 centimetres (22.3 in) in total length

4.  Mostly tropical insects and subtropical
 Greatest diversity in Southeast Asia , South America,
Australia and United States
 Life cycle: few months to 2 years
 Myrmecochory
 Arboreal, some lives near soil
 Catalepsy, Photohorotaxis, thanatosis are their behaviors
 Most are nocturnal
(approximately 126 million years ago).
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Major Host Trees
Oak Tree Eucaliptus Coconut plantaions

5. 5
Above mentioned
species of stick insects
during feeding
Carausius morosus
Diapheromera femorata
Didymuria violescens podacanthus wilkinsoni
Ctenomorphodes tessulatus
Eurycantha calcarata

6. Biological Control:
It is assumed that generalist predators feed upon them when encountered
but is we need to control them then following agents can be helpful
1. Anastatus eurycanthae Gibson n. sp. (Eupelmidae: Eupelminae) an egg
parasitoid of Eurycantha calcarata Lucas (GIBSON et. al., 2012)
2. Chrysidid wasps: Myrmecomimesis and Loboscelidia (Heather, 1965).
Mechanical Control:
Removing and destroying the insects can reduce populations over time
and reduce evidence of feeding; however, finding them is difficult due to their
cryptic nature. (D. H. Headrick )
Chemical Control:
There is no research on pesticide efficacy against walking sticks (D. H.
Headrick )
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Anastatus eurycanthae Loboscelidia
 Their role in the forest ecosystem is considered important by many scientists.
 Some scientists say that Stick Insects are light-gap herbivores.
 They maintain succession and resilience in climax forests.

7. References:
1. (GIBSON et. al., 2012)Nomenclatural changes in Anastatus Motschulsky
and the description of Anastatus eurycanthae Gibson n. sp. (Eupelmidae:
Eupelminae), an egg parasitoid of Eurycantha calcarata Lucas (Phasmida:
Phasmatidae) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa 3419: 53–61 (2012)
2. Heather, N.W. (1965) Occurrence of Cleptidae parasites in eggs of
Ctenomorphodes tessulatus (Gray) (Phasmida: Phasmidae) in Queensland.
Journal of the Entomological Society of Queensland 4, 86–87.
3. D. H. Headrick: Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of
California retreived, 27/11/2014 from
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74157.html
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