Common walkingstick

The common walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) is a slender North American stick insect that feeds mainly on deciduous tree foliage.

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Phasmatodea: An insect order whose members are commonly called stick insects or walkingsticks. The common walkingstick belongs to this order of insects that resemble plant parts.
Herbivory: A form of feeding in which an animal consumes plants or plant parts. The walkingstick eats leaves rather than other animals.
Defoliation: The loss of leaves from a plant, often through feeding by herbivores. Large populations can remove substantial foliage from deciduous trees.
Diapheromera femorata outbreaks: Episodes in which common walkingstick populations become unusually abundant and cause conspicuous foliage loss. Outbreaks reveal how this normally inconspicuous insect can affect forest trees.
Phytomimicry: Resemblance to plants that helps an organism avoid detection or deceive other organisms. Its twig-like shape makes it difficult to detect among branches.
Deciduous forest: A forest dominated by trees that shed their leaves seasonally. Its principal food plants grow in these forests across its range.
Forest entomology: The study of insects that inhabit or affect forest ecosystems. Researchers study its feeding and population changes as part of forest insect ecology.
Ozark forests: Forested landscapes of the Ozark Plateau in the central United States. Common walkingstick abundance and feeding have been studied in these forests.
Insect exoskeleton: The external cuticle of an insect, which supports and protects its body. A rigid outer covering supports the walkingstick's long, slender body.
Parthenogenesis: Reproduction in which an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg. Some populations can produce offspring without mating.