The Southern Two-striped Walkingstick is a stout stick insect with two bold dark stripes on a brown background, making it one of North America's most colorful phasmids. It has a powerful chemical defense: a spray of defensive secretion from glands behind the head that can cause temporary blindness if it hits the eyes. Females are much larger than males, which are often found riding on the female's back.
Best time to see a Southern Two-striped Walkingstick
The best time to see a Southern Two-striped Walkingstick is June–October, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 7,618 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Southern Two-striped Walkingstick? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Southern Two-striped Walkingstick sightings near you
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