R. D. Hughes
William Collins, Sydney, 1975
ISBN 0 00 211437 2
Order PHASMATODEA
Stick-insects
This order of large to very large insects also includes the leaf insects
which occur frequently in other parts of the world but which are very
rarely found in Australia. Many species of stick-insect are wingless, but
when wings are present the forewings are usually small leathery tegmina,
barely covering the base of the hind wings. The hind wings are often also
small in relation to the length of the body and may not be functional,
especially in the females. The leading edge of the hind wing is often
sclerotized to form a protective covering for the delicate anal fan which
folds under it. Every part of most stick-insects is long and thin.
The legs, and sometimes other parts of the body, carry stout spines.
Stick-insects characteristically inhabit the foliage of trees and shrubs,
feeding on the leaves.
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