Prickly stick insect Acanthoxyla prasina

Stick insects are really hard to see in their natural habitat because of their incredible camouflage.  The one in this photo was found walking up the leg of the person who photograph it after walking through heavy foliage in the gully. This is only the second one seen by the restoration team that work in the gully each Wednesday. Eradicating rats and possums must help support the increase of natives such as these.

Some interesting facts from the Wanganui Chronicle submitted by Dr Mike Dickison who is the Curator of Natural History at Whanganui Regional Museum.

Stick insects are easy to keep. They only need a regular supply of green leaves and an occasional spray with a water mister. They're happy to be handled, and are a great "gateway insect" for children who might be nervous about handling a creepy-crawly, as they're completely harmless. They spend most of their time slowly munching on leaves and laying eggs. It's possible to breed stick insects even if you only have one as the prickly stick insect (Acanthoxyla), are parthenogenetic. This means that no males are needed, with mothers laying eggs from which hatch only daughters. In fact, until recently, no males had ever been seen. The one that was found, was in England of all places. The species had been introduced to England in the 1920s and is doing well. Males seem to be very rare mutants, not required for reproduction.

Unfortunately, stick insects have a short life expectancy. They hatch in spring, reach full size in a few months, and usually don't survive the winter.