Masters
of Disguise
You'd
have to look pretty closely at this tree to notice that there was a
bug on it. The walking stick insects are very highly specialized insects
that have adapted to their environments by blending in. You can probably
guess that they are called "walking sticks" because they really
look like sticks with legs. They come in many
colors and sizes, all depending on the type of tree or bush they like
to live in. The plants these insects live in are their primary source
of food. Giant stick insects are some of the longest insects in the
world. In fact, the longest insect on record is a stick insect of the
species Pharnacia kirbyi, found living in the rainforests of
Borneo, and it can grow up to 20 inches (50cm) long.
Biggest
Ever
Scientists
have looked at fossil records dating back to the beginning of earth
and have found the largest insects that ever lived existed during the
time of the dinosaurs. The biggest insect in prehistoric times was a
dragonfly called Meganeura monyi that had a wingspan measuring
over three feet (1m). The biggest dragonflies today only grow wings
up to 8 inches (20cm) across.