Vietnamese Walkingstick

Baculum extradentatum

There are approximately 2000 tropical species of walkingsticks, with 10 species living in North America.  The Vietnamese walkingstick is a member of the Phasmidae family and is in the order Phasmatodea.  They are native to Vietnam and southeast Asia with tropical forests being their habitat.

Vietnamese walkingsticks are approximately 4-5 inches in length with elongated and oval shaped heads with thread-like antennae and chewing mouthparts for eating plant material.  They are brownish in color and have 6 legs, which is a characteristic of all insects.  Male walkingsticks have a full set of wings while females have no wings.  Their life span is about 6 months and their diet is a variety of foliage.  They are primarily nocturnal in behavior and remain virtually motionless throughout the day.  Their main predators include birds and small mammals.  Their primary defense is its brownish color and stick-like appearance, which enables it to look like a twig of the host plant and blend into its surrounding environment.  It may also freeze in place or, sometimes, even rock back and forth to mimic a twig shaking in the breeze.  Stick insects have both claws and sucker pads on their feet, which enables them to walk straight up a vertical surface.