{"id":4545,"date":"2021-08-01T10:29:43","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T10:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/?p=4545"},"modified":"2022-05-03T12:27:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T12:27:15","slug":"the-life-cycle-of-a-stick-insect-leaf-insect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/the-life-cycle-of-a-stick-insect-leaf-insect\/","title":{"rendered":"The Life Cycle Of A Stick Insect & Leaf Insect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ever wondered where stick insects come from? When you encounter a stick insect in real life, it is probably an adult specimen, or at least nearly reached adulthood. But, what about baby stick insects? How are they born?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The life cycle of stick insects exists of three main life stages: the egg, nymph and adulthood. The eggs are tiny and shaped like seeds, and when they hatch after several weeks to months, tiny stick insects emerge. These small nymphs already look like full stick insects, and slowly they grow to adult size.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting right? There is much to discover about the life cycle of stick and leaf insects. In this article, we will take a close look from egg to adults that eventually lay eggs again. Let’s go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The life cycle of stick and leaf insects explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stick insects go through three different life stages: the egg, nymph, and adulthood. Each life stage has its specifics and wonders. Here we take a close look at every life stage, starting with stick insect eggs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The egg stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first stage starts with a tiny egg ranging from 1.5 cm down to only 2 mm, depending on the size of the species and the egg-laying technique of that species. Amazing that such a relatively large insect comes from such a tiny egg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The eggs have a hard shell and are oval-shaped. Quite extraordinary is that the eggs look exactly like seeds<\/a>. Every stick insect has a different seed-shaped egg with specific appendages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are they shaped like seeds? This is part of their camouflage trick box. In some parts of the world, ants see the eggs as real seeds and are taken back to the nest. The capitulum (a fatty, knoblike cap on the egg) contains substances where ants feed on without destroying the embryo. With this strategy, the eggs are protected by the ants from predation. They stay buried underground during winter and hatch when it warms up in the spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you may wonder why a stick insect that looks so inconspicuous have eggs that look like tasty seeds? In newer research, they hypothesise that the seed-like eggs are eaten by small birds<\/a> where some survive the digestive tract and are further dispersed this way. Where only a small percentage will survive the bird digestive tract \u2014 many species lay a large number of eggs, and with such a good camouflage they are not found by predators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some stick insect eggs hatch quite quickly within a few weeks, where others take over several months<\/a> (some even over a year). Hatching times depends on the species, habitat and weather conditions. Every egg only contains one stick insect nymph, which is folded inside the egg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related read:<\/strong> What to do if stick insect nymph is stuck on its egg? <\/a><\/div>