Now that I have your attention, be assured that this is a family blog. Nevertheless, sex is an essential force in nature.
Today, after bringing my lunch out to the front porch, I noticed woody debris in the lattice that borders our entryway. Before I could pick the stems from the lattice, I realized that they were the limbs and torso of a walking stick; in fact, there were two of these interesting insects, locked in copulation. Of course, I left them alone and, by dinner time, they had not uncoupled; indeed, walking sticks are known to copulate for days or even weeks.
More than 3000 species of walking sticks are found across the globe. Feeding on a variety of leaves, the female is much larger than the male and is capable of parthenogenesis (the production of female offspring without the need for mating). Today's discovery was thus unusual, one that I had not yet encountered. Disguised as plant material, they avoid detection by mice, birds and bats, their primary predators. Females may lay up to a thousand seed-like eggs, which may be dropped in a secluded site or spread across her territory.
