Is it a praying mantis or walking stick?How to tell
What's long and skinny and likes to camouflage itself in plants and trees? In the insect world, there are multiple answers to this riddle. It could be either a praying mantis or a walking stick.
The world is home to more than 2,500 praying mantis species and more than 3,000 walking stick species. That means there is quite a bit of variation in their appearance, behavior and more. However, one thing these thousands of species have in common is that they are among the insects that rely on their appearance to blend in with their environment.
Why these insects rely on that camouflage is different, though. For walking sticks, the camouflage helps them blend in to avoid being caught by predators. But praying mantises use their camouflage mainly so they can lie in wait and strike unsuspecting prey for their next meal. Their camouflage does also help them avoid being found by their predators, though.
Walking sticks don't need to lie in wait to hunt for their next meal because they are strictly herbivores. Their diet mainly consists of leaves. Praying mantises are strictly carnivores. They eat a variety of insects plus small birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Words to know
Camouflage: The ability to change color or pattern to blend into surroundings or look like something else.
Resemblance: Similar in appearance or qualities.
Variation: A change or difference in the usual level, amount, form or appearance of something.
While both walking sticks and praying mantises could be confused with sticks on trees at quick glance, walking sticks bear more of a resemblance. They very clearly look like twigs and sticks. They will even sway in the wind to better blend in with their environment.
Most walking sticks are green or brownish-green in color. They range greatly in size depending on the species. The smallest ones are about 1 inch long, while the largest can be more than 20 inches long!
Most praying mantises are green or brown in color, but in some parts of the world there are yellow and pink mantises that blend in with orchids and other flowers. Size can vary greatly among mantises too, but the species we see in the Midwest are generally between 3 inches and 5 inches long.
Just like walking sticks are named for their appearance, praying mantises are too. In their case, they are named for their long front legs, which are bent in a way that makes them look like they are praying. Praying mantises also have large, prominent eyes. Walking sticks don't have praying legs or prominent eyes, so these are useful characteristics for telling them apart if you aren't sure what kind of insect you are seeing.
Both walking sticks and praying mantises live across the world — on every continent except Antarctica. While both rely on their camouflage to blend in, late summer and early fall are good times to catch a glimpse of them for a few reasons.
First, the insects become fully grown at this time of year, and many are also active looking for mates during this time. In addition, plant life begins to change as summer turns to fall, which can make it easier to spot the insects as they move about.
