Masters of Mimicry

About this episode

This episode explores the remarkable mimicry abilities of stick insects and their adaptations for survival.

Though they are only insects, stick insects seem to have an amazing knowledge of their surroundings. They are geniuses at using their predators’ weaknesses for their own protection.Stick insects are leaf eaters. Many of them look like little twigs. The longest insect in the world is a walking stick from Borneo that reaches a length of 13 inches. A tropical stick is as thick as a finger and the same color as the bamboo on which it is often found. It also has swollen ridges that make it look even more like bamboo. Other types have leafy flaps that match the leaves of the plants they frequent. Some stick insects go even further. They lay eggs that look exactly like the seeds of the plant on which they feed. A stick that’s found in New Mexico glues its eggs to grass stems. The position and shape of the long-pointed eggs exactly mimic the seeds of that species of grass.While they don’t fly, some sticks have brightly colored wings that they can rapidly unfurl. They use this ability to startle away nervous birds who might want to investigate them for lunch. Sticks will often sway with the breeze to make their illusion more effective. Some sticks will sit motionless for hours. Some birds…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ian T. Taylor, Mark W. Cadwallader

Topics covered

• stick insects
• mimicry
• predator avoidance
• evolution
• nature
• insects

Keywords

• stick insects
• mimicry
• predators
• evolution
• nature
• insects
• survival
• adaptation

More episodes of Creation Moments on Oneplace.com

• Coming: A Robot Dancing Bee · June 12, 2026 · 2 min
• Moths That Think They Are Hummingbirds · June 11, 2026 · 2 min
• Evolutionist Says: Darwinism Is in Trouble! · June 10, 2026 · 2 min
• Solitary Bees · June 9, 2026 · 2 min
• The Puzzle of Mathematics · June 8, 2026 · 2 min
• How to Speak Bee · June 5, 2026 · 2 min