# Stick insect info needed..



## Funkstaa (Jul 19, 2010)

Miss 5 has just brought home her first lot of homework ever she was asked to pick a bug and find some info on it (she's going to love this term my little bug nut lol) I don't do things half as*ed so I've just ordered some spiny stick insects and have been reading about them all day but she wants to make a book, and the things she wants to put in are specific - so I need help!!!!
She wants to know how many leafs they eat each day (obviously an average will do)
Do they sleep?
Why do they need to be sprayed with water when they eat the same as Koalas's and Koalas's don't drink water?
Their most favourite food?
What animals eat them?
Does their mum eat them?
I'm obviously going to be doing alot more googling but any help is really appreciated...I seriously think miss Jamaya is an entomologist in the makings but in my eyes bugs are food for herps I think I need to lift my game lol:lol:


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## antaresia_boy (Jul 19, 2010)

off my experience of spiny leaf insects-
An adult insect wouldn't go through more than about 1-2 leaves a day,
They love young gum leaves. Younger, softer leaves are all eaten first.
Anything that would get them would eat them, but birds would be their biggest worry I imagine...
Never saw the mum eating any.
Hope it helps, and isn't homework for her to do


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## GeckoJosh (Jul 19, 2010)

A few bits of info off the top of my head 
They eat a few different natives but mainly Eucalyptus, Angophoras and Acacias.
They drink dew drops of leaves in the wild so that is why they need to be sprayed.
Its a bit hard to say how many leaves they eat but I would say an adult would consume about 3 large leaves a day.
The mums do not eat them.
The females do not need a male to reproduce but any eggs laid will be clones of herself (Parthenogenetic).
If the female does mate with a male then usually the majority of the offspring will be male.
Males have develope wings after about 4 months and live from 6-8 months.
Females are larger do not have wings and live from 12-18 months.
The eggs have a sugary knob on the end of them that attracts ants so when the female flick them from the tree top ants pick them up and carry them into the nest, they will then consume the knob of the end of the egg without harming it and discard the egg into the ant "rubbish dump" inside the nest, being underground it helps to provide adequate humidity and temperature for the egg to incubate and will also keep it away from predators.
When the egg hatches (3 months to I think 2 years) the nymphs actually resemble ants and also emit ant pheromones that fools the ants into not killing it on sight allowing the nymph to escape and find a tree.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense but its the best I can do with the time i have available atm.

Good luck Gex


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## Funkstaa (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks guys, and yes Antaresia_boy it is for her to do but she's only just started reading so I'm gathering info then reading it to her she has chosen which info is relevant and will be making it into a book,her note taking is very cute - she's a clever little cookie and has a genuine interest so the more info the better...I'm pretty impressed with her comparison to the Koala vs stick insect water relation for her age but ne ways getting off track... (her fave fact so far is that the pepermint stick insect lets off and that it smells like foul peppermint,and it's pretty funny watching her do her interpretation of it : p 
If there's anything else you think would be of interest please keep it coming


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