Looking for native northern walking sticks for my son

[Esherman81]

Hello everyone ..my son is a special needs son who wants northern walking sticks for a pet...or any native sticks too the USA ....does anyone know where can get a few ..we have been outside looking for ever and have not found any ..

 

[Tenevanica]

Where do you live? It's possible they're not native to you area.

Look on the right host plants. Stick insects are essentially tied to their host plant, and you won't find them anywhere else. Oak, hazelnut, rose, and blackberry are common food plants of northern walking sticks. They're very hard to see, so a beat sheet wouldn't be a bad investment.

 

[Esherman81]

I live in Michigan ..used too have them when I was a kid ..used too see them ..been looking since it warmed up ...we have lots of oak and berry trees

 

[Tenevanica]

This is another piece of article that may be helpful:

D. femorata is herbivorous and feeds mainly on the leaves of trees. They are leaf skeletonisers, eating the tissues between the leaf veins, pausing for a while and then walking on to new leaves. They can feed at any time of day but the greatest feeding activity has been noted between nine PM and three AM. Early-stage nymphs are often found on American hazel(Corylus americana) and black cherry (Prunus serotina), but where these are scarce, often choose white oak (Quercus alba). Older individuals are often found on black oak(Quercus velutina).[5] Another food tree is the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Adults are present in August and September in the northern part of the range, but because of their tendency to feed high in the canopy, the insects are seldom seen

 

[Tenevanica]

I live in Michigan ..used too have them when I was a kid ..used too see them ..been looking since it warmed up ...we have lots of oak and berry trees

It may be too early to find adults. In Northern parts of their range I'm sure they're still eggs actually.

 

[Esherman81]

Thanks ..very interesting ..I really hope I find some

 

[Esherman81]

Not sure where too look for the eggs thro..we live by woods ..

 

[Tenevanica]

Not sure where too look for the eggs thro..we live by woods ..

Look on the ground at the base of trees. Be careful though, the eggs look like poppy seeds...

Eggs:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/461984/bgimage

Of course you can always wait until late summer and look for adults

 

[Esherman81]

Yes just watched a video about what they looked like lol

 

[Jacob Ma]

It's almost impossible to find the eggs though as they are very small and usually tumble somewhere among the soil. Your best bet is to wait until later to find adults or older stages.

 

[Esherman81]

Yes we looked today and didn't find anything lol..hehe..but worth the walk at least .

 

[sschind]

whatever gets you out in nature is worth it

Anyone know when they start hatching out in Michigan or Southern Wisconsin (where I am)

 

[Jacob Ma]

Just wait until summer comes around the corner, and you just might be able to find some. Unless if you are absolutely sure that you have seen them in the area, finding them is no piece of cake. As a keeper of Northern Walkingsticks myself, they like to go high up into the branches to eat leaves and are very hard to notice, hence the name walking sticks.

To collect them, you can try shaking down some smaller trees with some tarp or light (white) colored plastic below to harvest any that might fall down. Trust me, especially for the nymphs, they are VERY hard to find and you'll need a keen eye to find one of these.

 

[Tenodera]

Yep, this time of year they will be very small nymphs. Jacob's right, beating/shaking small trees and bushes can be a useful method. Going out after a rain will let nature do it for you; the nymphs that fall out will often be visible climbing back up. You can also sweep-net the grasses and herbaceous plants at the edge of woods.

This is one of those animals that you're never guaranteed to find, though. If you know of a place where they are frequently seen, try there in a month or two!

 

[awiec]

I've found them pretty often on oak trees but this is usually when I'm not actively looking for them. I had the best luck finding them late afternoon/early evening in Southern Michigan, though I haven't seen any in central Michigan where I currently live.

 

[Esherman81]

I've found them pretty often on oak trees but this is usually when I'm not actively looking for them. I had the best luck finding them late afternoon/early evening in Southern Michigan, though I haven't seen any in central Michigan where I currently live.

I have not seen any in years ..my son wanted some ..

 

[Dovey]

Are you E. Sherman? Until last November, I was living in Tyler, TX, and we fished breeding (conjoined) stickbugs of massive proportion out of the pool daily in June and July. If you are truly interested and willing to pay postage, I'm sure a cousin or uncle could be convinced to ship you some rescued specimins.

 

[Dovey]

If your son retains his interest, please feel free to contact me in about a month about making arrangements. gjdossett@aol.com. Meanwhile, I'll do some research about safely shipping these monsters inthe summer heat. They're tougher 'n cowboys, so I'm sure they can go priority with a cool pack, probably about $12 total.

 

[Dovey]

Some info on the species. Darlin' EVERYTHING'S bigger in Texas!

http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Mims-Texas-walking-stick-longest-insect-in-U-S-3688932.php

 

[Esherman81]

Are you E. Sherman? Until last November, I was living in Tyler, TX, and we fished breeding (conjoined) stickbugs of massive proportion out of the pool daily in June and July. If you are truly interested and willing to pay postage, I'm sure a cousin or uncle could be convinced to ship you some rescued specimins.
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Yes I'm e Sherman