A bug that looks exactly like a twig with legs is almost always a walkingstick, also called a stick insect or stick bug. In most of the US and Canada it’s the northern walkingstick: a slender brown or greenish insect about three to four inches long that eats tree leaves and can’t bite or sting. Other stick-shaped insects include praying mantises, inchworm caterpillars and a few aquatic bugs, and they’re easy to tell apart once you know what to look for.
The northern walkingstick #
The northern walkingstick is the stick bug most people in eastern and central North America meet. The Missouri Department of Conservation describes it this way:
- Size: males about 3 inches, females about 3 3/4 inches
- Shape: extremely thin, wingless, with antennae about two-thirds as long as the body
- Color: males brown, females greenish brown, young ones green
- Food: leaves of oaks, hazelnut and other deciduous trees
- When you’ll see it: late summer and fall, when adults mate and are most noticeable
Walkingsticks rely on camouflage. They hold still for long periods and, when they move, sway their bodies like a branch moving in the breeze. You’ll usually spot one only when it lands on a wall, a car, a porch railing or your shirt, where it no longer matches the background.
They don’t bite, sting or carry disease. The only harm they do is to trees, and only when populations spike, which occasionally leads to local defoliation.
A walkingstick to handle with care: the two-striped walkingstick #
In the southeastern US, especially Florida and the Gulf states, the common species is the southern two-striped walkingstick. It’s stouter than the northern walkingstick, brown with three dark lengthwise stripes, and often found in mating pairs with a small male riding on a larger female (females average roughly 2.7 inches, males about 1.6 inches).
This one has a strong chemical defense. It sprays a potent irritating fluid from a pair of glands near the front of its body when threatened. Don’t pick it up, and keep it away from your face, pets and children. If the spray gets in someone’s eyes, rinse them with plenty of clean water and get medical advice. In the US, Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) can tell you what to do next.
Other bugs that look like sticks #
Praying mantises #
Brown or green mantises can look like sticks, especially on dried plant stems. The tell is the front legs: a mantis holds them folded in front like a person praying, and uses them to grab prey. Mantises also have a triangular head that turns to look at you and, as adults, wings folded over the back. The Chinese mantis, one of the largest species in North America, can be around four inches long.
Mantises don’t have venom and aren’t dangerous, though a large one may pinch if handled roughly. They eat other insects, including beneficial ones, so they’re a mixed blessing in the garden. See beneficial insects for the garden for the helpers that work more reliably.
Inchworms (twig caterpillars) #
Many caterpillars of geometrid moths, the “inchworms,” look startlingly like twigs. When disturbed, they grip a branch with their back legs and hold their body straight out at an angle, frozen, complete with bumps that look like buds. Look for the tell-tale looping walk and the tiny true legs at the front end. They don’t bite.
Water scorpions #
In ponds and slow streams, water scorpions are long, very thin brown bugs with a breathing tube at the tail and grasping front legs. They look like a floating stick with legs. They can give a painful bite if picked up, so move them with a net instead of your hand.
Thread-legged bugs #
These are extremely thin assassin bugs with thread-like legs, often found hanging in spider webs in barns, sheds and garages. They’re small (well under an inch) and harmless unless handled.
Crane flies #
Crane flies aren’t stick-shaped, but their thin bodies and very long, fragile legs lead people to call them “stick bugs” or “mosquito hawks.” They have wings, fly clumsily around lights, and don’t bite.
Quick comparison #
| Stick-like bug | Key feature | Bites or stings? |
|---|---|---|
| Northern walkingstick | Wingless, 3 to 4 inches, very long antennae | No |
| Two-striped walkingstick | Stout, brown with dark stripes, Southeast | Sprays an irritating defensive fluid |
| Praying mantis | Folded grasping front legs, triangular head | Can pinch if handled |
| Inchworm | Caterpillar, holds rigidly like a twig, loops when walking | No |
| Water scorpion | Aquatic, breathing tube at the tail | Painful bite if handled |
| Crane fly | Wings, very long fragile legs | No |
Is it safe to touch a walkingstick? #
A northern walkingstick is safe to pick up gently. Let it walk onto your hand rather than grabbing it, because the legs break off easily when it’s pulled. A young walkingstick can regrow a lost leg over its next molts; an adult can’t. Put it back on a tree or shrub when you’re done.
Avoid handling the two-striped walkingstick for the reason above.
How to identify a stick bug from a photo #
Camouflaged insects are hard for both people and apps, because the bug blends into the background. A few tricks help:
- Change the background. If you can, let the insect walk onto a sheet of paper or a plain surface before you take the photo.
- Get the whole body in the frame, including the front legs and head. That’s where a mantis and a walkingstick differ most.
- Shoot from above and from the side, in even light. More tips are in our bug photography guide.
Insect Identity recognizes the northern walkingstick along with the Chinese, Carolina, European and bordered mantises, so it can separate those in about a second, even offline. It returns a best match with a confidence score plus four runners-up. It doesn’t know the two-striped walkingstick, water scorpions or inchworm caterpillars, so a striped southern stick insect or a twig-like caterpillar may come back with a low score. That’s your cue to compare against the descriptions above. For other mystery finds around the house, start with what is this bug in my house.
Frequently asked questions #
Is a walking stick bug poisonous? #
The northern walkingstick isn’t poisonous or venomous and is harmless to people and pets. The southern two-striped walkingstick sprays an irritating chemical when threatened, so handle that one with care and keep it away from eyes.
Can walking sticks bite? #
No. Walkingsticks have chewing mouthparts made for leaves and don’t bite people. Their defense is camouflage, and in some species, chemical spray.
Why is there a walking stick on my house? #
Walkingsticks are most noticeable in late summer and fall, when adults move around to mate and females drop eggs. They often end up on siding, screens or cars near trees. It will usually move back to the trees on its own.
Are walking sticks rare? #
Not especially. They’re common in forests and wooded yards across much of North America, but their camouflage is so good that most people see only a few in their lives.