Giant Walking Stick

Pharnacia acanthopus

The giant walking stick is one of the longest walking sticks. The adult female, with outstretched forelegs, spans over 15 inches. Worldwide, there are more than 2,500 closely related species, though some look more like leaves than sticks.

  • Males are much shorter and thinner than females.
  • The walking stick’s legs are designed to break off easily in a predator’s mouth, allowing the insect to escape.
  • Young walking sticks are able to regenerate legs that they have lost.

Fact File

    Ecological role: Herbivore
  • Adult lifespan: 4 mos
  • Habitat: Tropical rainforest
  • Diet: Leaves

Look Close:

Giant walking sticks use camouflage to fool insect-eating predators.

Range:

Southeast Asia

Meet a Zookeeper

Encounter insects up close during a Meet a Zookeeper program at the World of the Insect at 11:00am and 1:00pm everyday through the end of October.