Deep Look | Australian Walking Stick Insects Are Three Times Weirder Than You Think | Deep Look @KQEDDeepLook | Uploaded 2 years ago | Updated 9 minutes ago
The Australian walking stick is a master of deception, but a twig is just one of its many disguises. Before it’s even born, it mimics a seed. In its youth it looks and acts like an ant. Only when it has grown up does it settle into its final, leafy form. Along the way, it fools predators at every turn.
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DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.
—
The Australian walking stick (Extatosoma tiaratum) does an amazingly convincing job of looking like a dead leafy branch. Also known as the spiny leaf insect, giant prickly stick insect, or Macleay’s spectre, it has a few extra tricks up its “leaves.”
Even before it is born, it begins a lifetime of deception. The egg looks like a seed that has fallen to the forest floor, with a fatty knob on one end that is irresistible to some foraging ants. These ants take the egg to their underground nest, where they snack on the nutritious cap, leaving the rest of the egg intact. Over the next few months to a year, the egg is protected underground from predators and develops in the humid, climate-controlled ant burrow.
The young insect emerges from the ant nest wearing its next disguise – a red-headed spider ant. This species of ant (Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus) forages for food alone, and are about the same size as the stick insect nymph. Also the newborn nymph moves quickly, just like the ants do.
The nymph quickly makes its way into the safety of the trees, and begins to molt. Then, as it matures into adulthood, the Australian stick insect activates its plant costume, using passive camouflage. During these phases, it sways back-and-forth as it walks. Researchers call this imitation of leaves blowing in the wind “active camouflage."
—
— Do Australian walking stick insects need to mate to have offspring?
Amazingly, they do not! Like many walking sticks, if no males are around, a female Australian walking stick insect may reproduce, and lay fertile eggs alone. This process is called parthenogenesis, and the offspring are genetic clones of their mothers.
— Can Australian walking sticks fly?
Adult males do have functional wings they can use to glide away from threatening situations.
— How long do Australian walking sticks live?
Australian walking sticks live an average of 12 months, but may live longer in captivity. Between hatching and adulthood, they undergo six moults. The wings on adult males only appear after the final moult.
—
---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science:
kqed.org/science/1978180/australian-walking-stick-insects-are-three-times-weirder-than-you-think
---+ More great Deep Look episodes:
These Giant Leaf Insects Will Sway Your Heart | Deep Look
youtu.be/QjPInsEYDLs
Walking Sticks Stop, Drop and Clone to Survive | Deep Look
youtu.be/Nxs0Q7ktaKU
Kidnapper Ants Steal Other Ants' Babies - And Brainwash Them | Deep Look
youtu.be/sC4MjPKf3jY
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Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED.
#australianwalkingstick #stickinsects #deeplook
The Australian walking stick is a master of deception, but a twig is just one of its many disguises. Before it’s even born, it mimics a seed. In its youth it looks and acts like an ant. Only when it has grown up does it settle into its final, leafy form. Along the way, it fools predators at every turn.
Take the 2023 PBS Survey: to.pbs.org/pbssurvey2023g
DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.
—
The Australian walking stick (Extatosoma tiaratum) does an amazingly convincing job of looking like a dead leafy branch. Also known as the spiny leaf insect, giant prickly stick insect, or Macleay’s spectre, it has a few extra tricks up its “leaves.”
Even before it is born, it begins a lifetime of deception. The egg looks like a seed that has fallen to the forest floor, with a fatty knob on one end that is irresistible to some foraging ants. These ants take the egg to their underground nest, where they snack on the nutritious cap, leaving the rest of the egg intact. Over the next few months to a year, the egg is protected underground from predators and develops in the humid, climate-controlled ant burrow.
The young insect emerges from the ant nest wearing its next disguise – a red-headed spider ant. This species of ant (Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus) forages for food alone, and are about the same size as the stick insect nymph. Also the newborn nymph moves quickly, just like the ants do.
The nymph quickly makes its way into the safety of the trees, and begins to molt. Then, as it matures into adulthood, the Australian stick insect activates its plant costume, using passive camouflage. During these phases, it sways back-and-forth as it walks. Researchers call this imitation of leaves blowing in the wind “active camouflage."
—
— Do Australian walking stick insects need to mate to have offspring?
Amazingly, they do not! Like many walking sticks, if no males are around, a female Australian walking stick insect may reproduce, and lay fertile eggs alone. This process is called parthenogenesis, and the offspring are genetic clones of their mothers.
— Can Australian walking sticks fly?
Adult males do have functional wings they can use to glide away from threatening situations.
— How long do Australian walking sticks live?
Australian walking sticks live an average of 12 months, but may live longer in captivity. Between hatching and adulthood, they undergo six moults. The wings on adult males only appear after the final moult.
—
---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science:
kqed.org/science/1978180/australian-walking-stick-insects-are-three-times-weirder-than-you-think
---+ More great Deep Look episodes:
These Giant Leaf Insects Will Sway Your Heart | Deep Look
youtu.be/QjPInsEYDLs
Walking Sticks Stop, Drop and Clone to Survive | Deep Look
youtu.be/Nxs0Q7ktaKU
Kidnapper Ants Steal Other Ants' Babies - And Brainwash Them | Deep Look
youtu.be/sC4MjPKf3jY
---+ Shoutout!
🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for correctly answering our Community Tab GIF challenge!
Theresa Calovini
Ahmet Kerem
Duncan
Gavin Rushing
Aragon
---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)!
Jessica
Chris B Emrick
Burt Humburg
David Deshpande
Karen Reynolds
Daisuke Goto
Adam Kurtz
Allison & Maka Masuda
Wild Turkey
Tianxing Wang
Companion Cube
Nathan Jewsbury
Josh Kuroda
Mark Jobes
Kevin Judge
Blanca Vides
monoirre
Anastasia Grinkevic
Supernovabetty
Roberta K Wright
Titania Juang
Aurora
Syniurge
AdmiralShadow
KW
El Samuels
Carrie Mukaida
Jellyman
Mehdi
Rick Wong
Kristy Freeman
Cristen Rasmussen
Ed Gandia
Mary Truland
Nicky O.
Kelly Hong
Scott Faunce
Cindy McGill
SueEllen McCann
Nicolette Ray
Laurel Przybylski
Louis O'Neill
Noreen Herrington
Shelley Pearson Cranshaw
Sonia Tanlimco
Misia Clive
Caitlin McDonough
Wade Tregaskis
Silvan
Shonara Rivas
Elizabeth Ann Ditz
Joshua Murallon Robertson
Levi Cai
TierZoo
Delphine Tseng
rafael pirondi
---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look:
Instagram: instagram.com/kqedscience/
Twitter: twitter.com/kqedscience
---+ About KQED
KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media.
Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED.
#australianwalkingstick #stickinsects #deeplook
