COP15: Why do walking stick insects dance?

Walking stick insects are 'masters of disguise' in nature because of their resemblance to sticks or twigs while in fact being animals. Two walking sticks were spotted wiggling in the video filmed at the Taiyanghe forest park in southwest Yunnan's Pu'er City.

How do walking sticks dance?

The insect actually "dances" to protect themselves. When they crawl, they often sway their bodies back and forth. In this way, they’re simulating the posture of branches and leaves in the wind, so that they will not be identified by the natural enemies. Really smart!

Do they have wings?
It turns out that most of the stick insects do not have wings. Only a few of them have wings with bright colors. When in danger, they open their wings to fly, using shiny flashes to confuse the predator. When the stick insect touches the ground and retracts its wings, the flashing color suddenly disappears.

How long is the biggest walking stick?
The longest stick insect in the world is currently 62.4 cm! In January, 2017, a giant stick insect was sighted in the Taiyanghe park. It has a length of more than 40 cm.

Source: Pu’er Taiyanghe Forest Park; Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi