Walking stick year?

August 04, 2018  •  Leave a Comment

I've been shooting digital images for at least 15 years, and during that time span, I've almost never seen—or photographed—a "walking stick," as these twig-resembling members of the insect order Phasmatodea are commonly called. i don't think they're particularly rare or in decline; I've just never had a good "phasmid" year since one favored late summer and autumn in my film-photography days and nights in the 1990s. if I ever get to organizing my prints, I'll be able to discern the exact year, but for now, let's just say that it was a long time ago and phasmid fate hasn't favored my since then. Of course, it would be easy to miss these creatures, which are said to have derived their group name from the Greek phasma, a word that translates to "ghost" or "phantom" and refers to the walking stick ability to completely vanish into the leafy background. Maybe they've been there all along, and I just missed them. But there was no missing this phasmid on the kitchen door shingles, and, because I'd spotted one earlier on the window screens, I had to wonder if we'd be into for a walking stick 2018. Time to be extra vigilant.


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