Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stick Insects

STICK INSECTS


Yesterday morning I went out onto the deck early.  I was collecting the washing as rain is forecast all week and I'm attempting to get all the laundry done (yadda yaddda yadda).  Perched on my mobile clothes line was a stick-insect, no ... two!  A mother (I presume ) with a baby catching a lift on her back. They did gril (gross) me out for a moment until I looked more closely and appreciated it.  I called to BB who came to wonder at them. We moved them onto a badminton racket head and after further inspection, transported them to a nearby tree, where the baby scurried off and mom, (missing a leg mind you), insect-shuffled along.  Stick insects are rarely seen around here, and only seem to end up on the deck after a particularly windy spell. Later in the morning BB and I were moving the car out of the garage (okay, I was reversing the car and BB was on my lap) when we saw another stick insect fly onto the trampoline, walk about a bit and then disappear again. The wings were a beautiful violet colour and I actually mistook it for a butterfly before it landed. I have since read that the females can glide but the males can fly, and that they are able to regenerate limbs.
Our afternoon drawing session involved stick insects, naturally.