These are among the neatest insects in southwestern Ontario. Walking sticks are found around the world but mostly in tropical regions. Only one is native to Canada, the northern walking stick, and it occurs only in southern Ontario and Quebec.
Wednesday my wife spotted one on our garage door. Very agile, with both claws and sucker pads on their feet, it had no problem walking about the smooth, painted panels. I put out my hand, allowed it to climb on and then I carried it to a nearby shrub.
These insects are so well camouflaged, they look just like a short, thin twig. Kids capture them, put them in an aquarium filled with small branches and leaves, and then they promptly lose sight of their skinny pet.
It's best just to take the little insect's picture and leave them running free. Quite delicate, one can unintentionally injure a walking stick by handling them. Look but don't touch. (Note that I let it climb onto my hand. I didn't pick it up directly.)
Later, I'm going to write a little on Rockin' On: Photography about how this shot was done. It will be a little photography lesson.
Cheers,
Rockinon
To see my first walking stick post click on this link - LINK.
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