Stick Bug

"I'm the only stick with eyeballs!"  Slim on "A Bug's Life"

My girls love Stick Bugs because of the adorable character, Slim, on the 1998 Disney/Pixar movie, "A Bug's Life" & just because they are really cool & interesting too!  They were super excited to see that "Slim" had come to visit us at our house the other day!

I thought I would take the opportunity to make this into a little science lesson.  We looked our new little friend up here, on National Geographic & found a few fun facts about the "Stick Bug"!  National Geographic says, "As its name suggests, the stick insect resembles the twigs among which it lives, providing it with one of the most efficient natural camouflages on Earth. It and the equally inconspicuous leaf insect comprise the Phasmida order, of which there are approximately 3,000 species."  The "Stick Bug" is an herbivore & has an average life span of 3 years in the wild!  That seems like a long time for a bug to live!  "They range in size from the tiny, half-inch-long (11.6-millimeter-long) Timema cristinae of North America, to the formidable 13-inch-long (328-millimeter-long) Phobaeticus kirbyiof Borneo. This giant measures over 21 inches (55 centimeters) with its legs outstretched, (YIIIIIIIKES!!!!!!!  My words!) making it one of the world’s longest insects. Females are normally larger than males."  The one we saw was about 4 inches long!  Another cool fact is that these insects are, "part of the Phasmida order, the name of which is derived from a Greek word meaning “apparition"."             

We really enjoyed this awesome creature & we were, once again, reminded how creative & amazing God is!  He made a bug that perfectly mimics a stick!  How awesome He is!

I also think that Disney/Pixar has some pretty amazing animators!  What a fun job they have.......ALMOST as fun as me!