northern walkingstick

Northern walkingstick is common in the eastern half of the United states and adjacent Canadian provinces. It is the only stick insect found in Canada. It is the most common walkingstick in North America and in Minnesota.

The body is extremely long, thin, and almost cylindrical. The male is about 3″ long, the female about 3¾″ long. The body strongly resembles a leafless twig and provides effective camouflage from predators. The male is brown, the female greenish-brown. The sensory appendages at the tip of the abdomen (cerci) are short and have only one segment. They resemble the sensory organs (palpi) that are part of a spider’s mouthparts. The cerci on the female are short and straight. Those on the male are longer and curved, and serve as claspers. Nymphs are green but otherwise look like miniature adults.

The legs are long and slender. The group of end segments that together correspond to feet (tarsi) have 5 segments. On the male, the large third segment (femur) of the middle leg is dilated and tends to be banded.

There are no wings.

The head is small. The antennae are long, slender, and thread-like. They are ⅔ as long as the body.

Male: 3″

Female: 3¾″

Prairie walkingstick (Diapheromera velii) males usually have a pale stripe on each side. The femur is never banded or dilated. The cerci on the female are much longer. It is found in weedy, open areas.

Deciduous forests and woodlands

May through September

They feed at night. During the day they remain motionless, clinging to a twig or branch, and often swaying with the wind.

When at rest, the front legs are extended forward like the antennae.

When threatened, they will drop to the ground or remain motionless, often for a long period.

In Minnesota, the northern walkingstick population fluctuates on a two-year cycle. The odd numbered years are the “boom” years, the even numbered years the “bust” years. Mating takes place during the day from late August to mid-September. The female drops eggs to the ground one at a time. During heavy infestations, female egg-dropping can sound like falling rain. The eggs overwinter in the leaf litter. In the south, they hatch the following spring. In Minnesota, they remain on the ground until the second following spring. After almost two years, they hatch between mid-June late July. During the night, the nymph crawls up the first vertical object it encounters. If that is a stem of a shrub or tree, it begins feeding. Otherwise, it returns to the ground and seeks another vertical object.

Leaves of low-growing plants, including hazel, rose, serviceberry, blueberry, and strawberry.

Leaves of hardwood trees, especially black oak, red oak, beaked hazel, American basswood, American elm, black locust, and black cherry. Avoids maple and boxelder.

Sources

7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Common and widespread in eastern North America

Mark Schumacher, my son Maverick is a bug hunting expert he has another photo of a walking stick we posted 3 years ago when he was 5. This is his current find, these insects are so cool and bring him so much joy! Good job Maverick Schumacher

My 5 year old found this “stick bug” really cool. Good job Maverick.

Walking stick on a milkweed

northern walkingstick 01
Published on Sep 17, 2019

Walkingstick at Mount Wachusett - September 7, 2014
Don Gagnon

Northern Walkingstick (Diapheromera fermorata)
Heidi Poodle

SciWorks Walking Stick
Kaleideum

Walkingstick Insect/ "Stick Bug"
Krista SingsWithTrees

Patti Keiper
9/10/2024

Location: Detroit Lakes, MN (within city limits)

Found right next to my front door! I’ve lived in MN my entire life and this is the first time I’ve ever seen one of these!

Patti Keiper
9/10/2024

Location: Minnetonka Minnesota

Sighted on 9-10-24 in Minnetonka Minnesota on the District Court House window near some woods.

It was beautiful.

Location: Stockton Hill near Winona, Mn

observed on wild grape vine in woodland bluff

Location: Lakeside Township, Isle, MN 56342

For the 2 days I've watched it, it mostly stayed on my sliding door or on house siding. Like description stated, still during day and moves around at night. Fun to see where it is in mornings.

Location: Sturgeon Lake, Mn

found on the side of garage.

Location: Stillwater MN

Location: near Houston, MN

Location: Location: Zimmerman, MN

Mark Schumacher, my son Maverick is a bug hunting expert he has another photo of a walking stick we posted 3 years ago when he was 5. This is his current find, these insects are so cool and bring him so much joy! Good job Maverick Schumacher

Location: Kilkenny, Minnesota

Check out what we found in our garage tonight. This walking stick was amazing!

Location: Albany MN

Our entire family loved seeing this insect so much that it was brought to the 2nd grade classroom at Avon Elementary for show and tell! We released it back into the wild a few days later.

Location: New London, MN

Spotted crossing a sidewalk in town

Location: Eagan, MN

Walking stick on a milkweed

Location: Hubbard County

Location: Cass County

Location: Lake Shore, Cass County

Derek Helfenstein
8/24/2019

Location: North Branch, MN

Location: Lake Shore, Cass County

Location: Lake Shore, MN, Cass County

Location: Miltona MN

Jason R.
8/18/2019

Location: Randall

Terry
8/14/2019

Location: 6997 90th Ave., Princeton, MN

Location: Cut Foot Sioux Lake

Found on the hood of our pickup

Location: Ada lake, Pine River

I thought it was pine needles stuck on the screen of my cabin, but it moved when I tried to pick it off. I have never seen anything like this before in MN, very neat!

Location: Location: Zimmerman, MN

my 5 year old found this “stick bug” really cool. Good job maverick

Steven Casperson
8/20/2018

Location: Lakeshore, MN, near Brainerd

Location: Elk River, MN

so cool

Location: Burnsville, MN

Location: 17085 262nd Ave NW Big Lake, Sherburne County, MN

Location: qdoba patio Plymouth, Mn

was crawling up my leg....

Location: Andover, MN

I just found this walking stick (Diapheromera femorata) on the side of the house in Ham Lake, Mn. Wow! : ) — in Andover, Minnesota.