Stick Insect - Diapheromera velii

Moved

… David J. Ferguson, 17 November, 2012 - 12:51pm

Hi Aaron, if you're still looking in,

this would be almost certainly Diapheromera velii, if it was in a prairie area or similar (to me this is what it looks more like). If in a wooded area, it is probably D. femorata. Those are the only two likely candidates, and the females are indeed difficult to tell apart, especially from photos alone. I honestly don't know if the eggs look different, but probably they are very similar.

From the photos alone, it doesn't look to me like Manomera blatchleyi, but that species and D. velii are very similar. M. blatchleyi has a longer head and no spine under the middle femora. The head looks too short in these photos (but it's hard to be certain), and you can't see the underside of the femora.

… David J. Ferguson, 31 December, 2011 - 3:00pm

Female.

This specimen is a female, and females are always much more difficult to ID. I would say it is probably a species of Diapheromera, but there may be more than one species in Oklahoma....

… Eric R. Eaton, 15 October, 2007 - 3:29pm

Sorry,

can't help with ID. I do have a question though. Can these critters bite/sting in any way?

Gary

… Gary Kessler, 15 October, 2007 - 8:45am

Harmless

Nope, they're perfectly harmless. There are some species - namely in the Anisomorpha genus - that can spray/exude a noxious liquid, and that's a predator deterrent.

… Aaron Goodwin, 15 October, 2007 - 9:56am

Thanks Aaron

Just a good thing to know in case I ever see one as I'd have to handle it being the big kid I am. 8-)

Gary

… Gary Kessler, 15 October, 2007 - 10:18am