I'll never forget the first time I noticed an insect's ability to camouflage itself within the surrounding environment. My dad is a lifelong hunter and outdoorsmen, and the first time he took me hunting was quite an experience. I was only six years old, and my experiences in the sandboxes and playgrounds didn't prepare me for the insects and animals I would encounter in the natural woods of Sylvania, Georgia. I found ticks, grasshoppers, beetles, worms, and the most memorable of all - the Two-Striped Walking Stick (Anisomorpha buprestoides). I discovered this insect while wiping off my hunting seat, which was full of leaves and dirt from the windy conditions. As I swiped at the debris, the two-striped walking stick revealed itself by jumping off the seat onto the platform about a foot below. I was startled and terrified and intrigued and curious all at the same time! I remember wondering how a stick could jump. All kinds of thoughts went through my head: “Can all sticks jump?” and “Have I not noticed that sticks are alive this whole time?” and “Does this mean trees move too?” I sat and pondered these questions as I sat there for about thirty minutes in the tree stand. Finally, I had to ask my dad about this moving stick, and he clarified the misunderstanding with the truth about the camouflaged creature.
To this day, it still intrigues me just as much as when I was a little boy in the middle of the woods. Insects and other animals don’t have the minds of humans; however, they have made incredible advances to survive in our present-day environments. The two-striped walking stick is a perfect example of evolution. Their camouflaging ability makes them a hard target for prey and also gives them an easiness and comfort to sustain their herbivore feeding habits without worry. Now, when I go to pick up a little stick, I’m always wondering if it’s going to jump out at me or just simply lay there – like a stick is supposed to do!
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