What Type of Animal Is a Walking Leaf?

The walking leaf is an insect. Both the walking leaf and walking sticks belong to the order Phasmatodea, though originally they were grouped with grasshoppers and crickets in the order of Orthoptera. The walking leaf belongs to the family Phylliidae, while walking sticks are in the Phasmatidae family. These bugs imitate leaves, grass and twigs, and they feed on plants. Commonly called Phasmids, they've been around more than 40 million years.

  1. Camouflage

    • Both walking leaf and walking stick insects are famous for their camouflage, called crypsis, which can include protuberances on the exoskeleton. Walking leaf insects are generally flat and wide, while walking sticks are thin and long, and their thin legs can fold almost flat against their bodies. They can also sway when they walk, as if blowing in the wind. There are about 30 species of leaf insects. Some females have wings that imitate the veins of a leaf, though some species are wingless. Females can't fly, even if they have wings.

    Life Cycle

    • The juveniles (nymphs) are smaller versions of the adults.

      Though generally they can live up to 12 months, walking leaves in captivity may live longer. However, depending on the species, the life cycle ranges from several months to several years. Eggs can take a long time to hatch, possibly as long as six months to a year or longer.

    Pets

    • Some insects can be given as interesting pets.

      Walking leaf and walking stick insects are often kept as pets. Leaf insects are about 2.3 inches long, though some are longer; walking sticks can be much bigger. You can use a fish tank or something similar when keeping them as pets, but cages made from netting are better as condensation can build up in solid containers and drown your leaf insect. When feeding them leaves, be sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides; wash them and use fresh leaves, misting them so they can drink. If you must handle them, be careful, as they can lose limbs and will only regrow them if they haven't finished molting.

    Reproduction

    • It's not easy finding a mate when you're both disguised.

      The walking leaf insect, as well as walking sticks, lay eggs that resemble seeds; they are scattered over a period of time rather than laid in clusters. Females can lay approximately 40 eggs, though not all at once. When hatched, the nymphs look like small adults and are a reddish color until they begin eating plants and turn green, after which they go through several moults. If they have wings, they appear in their last moult. The whole process is called incomplete metamorphosis. In some species females may reproduce with unfertilized eggs, producing females; this is called parthenogenic reproduction.