Beyond the Branch: Exploring the Hidden Life of the Stick Insect

Insects are the most successful and diverse of all invertebrates, stick insects certainly being one of them.

Stick insects, walking sticks, bug sticks, ghost insects, forest phantoms, wood nymphs, living twigs, as many call them are often thought of as drab, sluggish, often clumsy, clockwork, ugly insects, not known for their beauty as compared to say something like a jewel beetle.

Many know them from the Indian Stick insect popular with children. Within the three thousand plus herbivorous species there is a spectacular range of form, colour and behaviour.

This short book gives an overview of these attributes, illustrating the amazing diversity and adaptations especially camouflage, in the hope that readers may take the challenge to start studying and keeping such amazing and interesting insects as pets.