Its about time that I made another post, so today I’m introducing the resident stick insect, affectionately known as Sticky.

Sticky showed up just before Christmas and I spotted it hiding on the trellis where my peas are growing (side note I now have a low key vegetable garden because I moved flats). It had a stunted front leg which I think meant that it must have been lost before its last moult since juvenile insects (also called nymphs for some families of insects) can regrow lost limbs between moults. Two days later and Sticky was gone, or so I thought.

I had written off Sticky too soon as it showed up again on my hanging strawberry pots which are mounted on the same trellis above my peas. A little bit of research told me that stick insects quite enjoy eating strawberry leaves, as well as raspberry and pohutakawa leaves. Strawberries are yummy, no denying that, but stick insects are pretty neat so I’m happy to trade off some of my strawberry leaves if Sticky stays.

After Christmas Sticky moulted and their front leg, body length and thickness all increased in size. And now, Sticky is even thicker! All those strawberry leaves seem to be agreeing with it. If anyone knows what species Sticky is I’d be interested in learning more.