Gods creatures but a strange one!

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

I stepped out my back door yesterday and saw this guy hanging there. 
These things  can jump! This is a small

one as l have seen bigger around the house. 

[rmaynard 15,428]

Phasmatodea

We call them stick bugs.

[WHX?? 48,790]

We call them walking sticks. 

[ebinmaine 67,292]

Yep. Stick bugs up here in Maine too.

 

Very interesting creatures.

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Looks funny, 

are they beneficials or pests

[Alex175 784]

Stick bugs are pretty dang cool, and you don't get to see them all too often because they are obviously really good at camouflage when in nature.  However that camo is, not surprisingly, ineffective while it is on the side of your house. 

[ebinmaine 67,292]

15 minutes ago, Alex175 said:

Stick bugs are pretty dang cool, and you don't get to see them all too often because they are obviously really good at camouflage when in nature.  However that camo is, not surprisingly, ineffective while it is on the side of your house. 

I was the last place I saw one too.

Hung around on the siding by our side door for a few days this past late spring, early summer.

 

[stevasaurus 22,711]

Looks like you made that Randy.  I'm thinking they are harmless.    

[Ed Kennell 38,026]

3 hours ago, WHX24 said:

We call them walking sticks. 

 

Same here in PeeAaa.

[Pullstart 62,800]

I’ve seen walking sticks before, never seen one jump!

[953 nut 55,092]

Stick bugs don't do any harm that I am aware of, except for scaring the heck out of my wife once.             

[8ntruck 6,991]

Walking sticks are an occasional item here, but we've not seen any lately.

 

We were stripping the trumpet vines off of the garage and found these two guys (gals?):

 

 

[ZXT 2,401]

1 hour ago, 8ntruck said:

Walking sticks are an occasional item here, but we've not seen any lately.

 

We were stripping the trumpet vines off of the garage and found these two guys (gals?):

 

 

I see praying mantis's (like in your picture) around here fairly often, but stick bugs are a bit less common. Both are pretty cool bugs.

[ebinmaine 67,292]

9 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Walking sticks are an occasional item here, but we've not seen any lately.

 

We were stripping the trumpet vines off of the garage and found these two guys (gals?):

 

 

If those are the same size it would be two girls. The males are far far far smaller. Only about 1/2 inch in length.

 

Interesting point of useless information about the mantis. There are a couple different ones. Didn't know that until yesterday.

They were introduced about a century ago to fight a pest insect. They did their job so we think they're amazing. Turns out they're just fine and not a pest but they don't have any actual benefit to a modern healthy garden other than looking awesome.

 

[Ed Kennell 38,026]

14 hours ago, pullstart said:

I’ve seen walking sticks before, never seen one jump!

I see them all the time while sitting in my tree stand.    Can't say I ever saw one jump...... I never saw an elephant jump either but I don't see too many  around my deer stand.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Ed Kennell

[8ntruck 6,991]

13 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

If those are the same size it would be two girls. The males are far far far smaller. Only about 1/2 inch in length.

 

Interesting point of useless information about the mantis. There are a couple different ones. Didn't know that until yesterday.

They were introduced about a century ago to fight a pest insect. They did their job so we think they're amazing. Turns out they're just fine and not a pest but they don't have any actual benefit to a modern healthy garden other than looking awesome.

 

There has been a smaller praying mantis on one of the rose brushes the last couple of days.  I notice that the roses are looking better this year compared to the last couple of years.  Might be that the mantis is is controlling aphids on the roses?

Edited August 26, 2020 by 8ntruck

[ebinmaine 67,292]

3 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Might be that the mantis is is controlling aphids on the roses?

That is absolutely possible. 

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

15 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

There has been a smaller praying mantis on one of the rose brushes the last couple of days.  I notice that the roses are looking better this year compared to the last couple of years.  Might be that the mantis is is controlling aphids on the roses?

These are very beneficial creatures. Haven't seen one of these in a while the praying mantis that is. I have been seeing some scorpions around the house and outside

[Stormin 9,981]

 Are they all a good source of protein?

[Ed Kennell 38,026]

18 minutes ago, Stormin said:

 Are they all a good source of protein?

Not much protein in walking sticks and prying mantis.

 

Now this guy....

 

[ebinmaine 67,292]

22 minutes ago, Stormin said:

 Are they all a good source of protein?

I would say yes

[ebinmaine 67,292]

1 minute ago, Ed Kennell said:

Not much protein in walking sticks and prying mantis.

 

Now this guy....

 

Delicious! A nice juicy 4 in long, big as your thumb, tomato hornworm!

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

Here's another oddball!🤪🤪

these things are kind of annoying they fly around and they are twice as loud as a noisy fly. And they are extremely weird looking but I don't think they sting !!

[ebinmaine 67,292]

Type of dragonfly?

[Ed Kennell 38,026]

One of my favorites.