Species Insects & ArthropodsSouthern Two-striped Walkingstick

Southern Two-striped Walkingstick

Anisomorpha buprestoides

UncommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Southern Two-striped Walkingstick (Anisomorpha buprestoides)

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.

Habitat
Pine flatwoods and scrub forests of the Southeast
Diet
Adults and nymphs: saw palmetto and other shrub foliage
How common
Uncommon

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.

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Recent Southern Two-striped Walkingstick sightings near you

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