Fast Facts for Kids
Stick Facts for Kids

Stick Bug Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Stick Bug
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Phasmatodea
  • Total Species: 3,000
  • Distribution: Worldwide (Except Antarctic)
  • First Appeared: ~126 million years ago

21 Stick Bug Facts For Kids

  1. Stick bug is the common name for a large group of insects who are members of the Phasmatodea order.
  2. Stick bugs are also called stick bug sticks, stick animals, stick insects, and walking sticks.
  3. You can identify a stick bug by their elongated bodies and striking resemblance to branches, stems, and sticks.
  4. Stick bugs and their ancestors started to appear at least 126 million years ago according to fossil evidence.
  5. Stick bugs can be found living on every continent, except Antarctica.
  6. The preferred habitat of stick bugs is tropical and subtropical regions with lots of trees and vegetation.
  7. Stick bugs are herbivorous and they only eat vegetation.
  8. The diet of a stick bug is fresh leaves and other foliage.
  9. The anatomy of a stick bug includes two antennae, two compound eyes, a head, jaws, thorax, six legs and an abdomen.
  10. There are an estimated 3,000 stick bug species living worldwide, with many more yet to be discovered.
  11. The primary defense mechanism of a stick bug is to prevent an attack before it happens with their camouflage ability to mimic a branch, stem, or stick.
  12. The lifespan of a stick bug species is between one and two years.
  13. Stick bug species are typically brown or green, but some do have other colors and/or stripes to ward off predators.
  14. Stick bug species can in a wide variety of sizes, with a body length between 0.75 and 25 inches.
  15. The shortest stick bug species is the Cristina's Timema (Timema cristinae) with a length of only 0.75 inches.
  16. The longest stick bug species is the Phryganistria chinensis with the ability to reach a length of 25 inches.
  17. Phryganistria chinensis is not only the longest stick bug species it is also the longest living insect in the world.
  18. The heaviest stick bug species is the jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatate) with a maximum weight of 65 grams.
  19. The jungle nymph is not only the heaviest stick bug species it is also one of the heaviest living insects in the world.
  20. The most critically endangered stick bug species is the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) and in 1920 was classified as extinct, until 2001 when it was rediscovered.
  21. Many entomoglists consider the Lord Howe Island stick insect to be the rarest insect in the world.

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Stick Bug Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on stick bugs. Below are three pictures of various stick bug species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of stick bugs found around the world.

A Stick Bug on a Branch

A picture of a stick bug on a branch.

A Stick Bug on Some Leaves

A picture of a stick bug on some leaves.

Close Up of a Stick Bug

A picture close up of a stick bug.

Stick Bug Resources

We hope you found the above stick bug facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research stick bugs using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to stick bugs. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.