Also known as the golden-eyed stick insect, black beauty stick insects are extremely rare and found only in a very small region of northern Peru.
The life of a black beauty stick insect
Females average a length of 2.75 inches while males are about 1.5 inches. Both have two pairs of wings: forewings in front and hindwings in back.
Black beauty stick insects are nocturnal and hide during the day. They eat only plants, especially pepper tree leaves. Black beauty stick insects were only discovered in the wild in 2005. Because they are so rare, most of their behavior has only been observed in human care at zoos.
Females can lay up to 100 eggs in their lifetime. Newly hatched black beauty stick insects appear the same as adults but without wings, which they develop as they age.
Predators include birds, reptiles, bats, rodents, spiders and other insects. They evade predators using their stick-like appearance as camouflage to blend in with the forest. They also lift their hindwings and spray a corrosive liquid that fends off predators.
Black beauty stick insect conservation
Black beauty stick insects are threatened by habitat loss due to fires and farming.
Black beauty stick insects at the zoo
Located in the Insect Zoo.
