Pair of Walking Sticks

Pair of walking sticks, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.

Two Striped Walking Stick 
Anisomorpha buprestoides

Found this pair of walking sticks outside my front door in South Fort Myers. The female is the larger of the two. If you look closely you can see the male blending in on her back.  


After researching the insects I discovered that these Walking Sticks can shoot a toxic substance at predators (and people with cameras). The secretion has been said to be very painful and cause swelling and irritation in the eye for several days.


"The pain in his left eye was immediately excruciating; being reported to be as severe as if it had been caused by molten lead." [ http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/walkingstick.htm ]