No-one does absent parenting like these clever critters. For a spiny leaf insect, motherhood begins and ends with a bunch of eggs passing through her gonopore (genital opening). She’s probably ...

Some female stick insects just don’t need males around, ever. They clone themselves, alter their pheromones to stay inconspicuous to unwanted suitors, and when males try to copulate with them, they ...

This stick insect spends its entire life trying to look like something else. These insects are relatively slow moving, so they rely on their camouflage to keep them safe. This is a giant prickly stick ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...