Walking sticks

[jreidsma]

Anyone keep Megaphasma denticrus and/or Diapheromera femorata? These seem to be the two wild walking stick species in Michigan and I am trying to figure out how I would go about getting some.

Also, after looking these two up it seems that they eat foliage that is all wild. Anyone have any luck with a diet of something easier to find.

 

[mantiscatamp]

thats not my shtick gl doe i love sticks

 

[BeetleExperienc]

No, I have kept them for years but always on collected (not purchased) leaves. They do well on rose, as long as it hasn't been sprayed with chemicals.

 

[mantisfan101]

I heard somewhere that your best bet is to walk around at night and use a flashlight to pinpoint them on bushes and trees, although this can be dangerous. The first instar nymphs of both species are supposed to be particularly fragile and have a high die off until after a couple molts.

 

[jreidsma]

No, I have kept them for years but always on collected (not purchased) leaves. They do well on rose, as long as it hasn't been sprayed with chemicals.

Hmm, alright. Thanks

I heard somewhere that your best bet is to walk around at night and use a flashlight to pinpoint them on bushes and trees, although this can be dangerous. The first instar nymphs of both species are supposed to be particularly fragile and have a high die off until after a couple molts.

That's something to keep in mind. If I had something readily available to feed them I might try it.

 

[MemeMachine]

If you're lucky, you'll occasionally see outbreaks of Megaphasma. Down in Texas every so often, you'll suddenly see aggregations so dense it looks like the trees are convulsing.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I don’t think you’ll find a good food source for D. femorata that isn’t leaves collected from outside. Your best bet is to give them fresh foliage in warm weather, then if you want to keep them into the winter (they’ll live past their normal outdoor lifespan if kept indoors) it’s helpful to freeze some oak or similar leaves to feed them when the trees outside are bare.

If you can find them in the wild you’ll have no trouble finding the food plants. Like mantisfan said the best way to find them is shining vegetation with a light.

Something interesting I’ve noticed is that although I rarely see walkingsticks unless I thoroughly shine a certain area where they’re common, I find their poop everywhere. They have distinctive rod-shaped droppings that accumulate on leaves in the forest understory, and the frequency with which I see them tells me they’re a lot more abundant than you’d think from how often they’re actually seen.