Push brooms are for lovers

At the farm this weekend, I went to get the push broom and discovered a couple of walking sticks (Diapheromera femorata) in the act of being intimate. It was quite clear which insect was which; the male had pincers clasped around the female's abdomen. The female was huge and grey, the male was about one-fourth smaller and greenish-brown. I'm always amazed how thoroughly walking sticks look like the tree twigs they're named after. The large grey-brown ones look like the small branches of mature oak trees, and the green ones, blending in with resilient sapling branches, are even a bit shiny like bark that hasn't aged yet.



( Larger images of the passionate couple )

These bugs eat oak leaves and in large numbers (which sometimes occurs around here) they can defoliate enough branches and trees to be a hazard to the flora. I've never seen them swarm though. Individuals are just a fascinating and relatively common find.