Stick Insects
Can you see the stick insect on the gum leaf?
Did you know that we have stick insects at kinder? Stick insects are a special type of insect called Phasmids, and they look like sticks or leaves and they eat leaves. They are often found in gum trees, which is is why Lucy always brings them gum leaves to eat.
Our stick insects often lay eggs, and when they hatch we put them in a smaller glass tank so they can grow. Sometimes they escape – and we find little stick insects all over the kinder!
This is an adult stick insect at kinder.
Stick insects have little hooks on their feet and legs to make them grip the leaf, branch or tree trunk very tightly. When we hold the stick insects at kinder, they can be a bit tricky to get off, especially when they climb onto your clothes. It doesn’t hurt though, and feels like they are tickling your skin.
Here is a story by Museum’s Victoria about Stick Insects. Click on the link below to see each page of the story.
Click to access stick_insect_family_album6f56.pdf
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/learning/little-science/stick-insect-family-album/
Click to access stick_insect_family_album6f56.pdf
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/media/5367/stick_insect_family_album6f56.pdf
Next time you go for a walk, why don’t you look at very closely at the gum trees. Some sticks that you find might actually be stick insects!
And if you would like some stick insects of your own, they do make easy pets, and we have lots at kinder! Talk to one of our teachers if you are interested.