Stick Insect

I had read and seen pictures of it but this is my first physical encounter with a Stick Insect, it was so well camouflage it would not surprise me if I had encountered it in the past but not took notice of it. It looks exactly like a twig and if this particular specimen wasn’t spook by me and attempted to fly off, I would not have seen it.

With a body shape that mimics the twigs of plants including matching its colors, it is among the best camouflaged of all creatures.

Stick insects are strictly vegetarians and feeds on leaves, generally nocturnal it would remain motionless, hidden under plants during the day. There is another variety of Stick insect that resembles a leaf, I am sure I will come across one someday.

Interesting facts about Stick Insects:
1. There are more than 3,000 types of Stick Insect identified worldwide.
2. Stick insects can reproduce without a mate and if there are no males, the females will lay eggs resulting in a population consisting entirely of females.
3. It has the ability of partial regeneration, for example regenerating a lost leg after several successive molts.
4. The Malaysian stick insect, Pharnacia serratipes, maturing to about 13 inches, is known to be the longest insect in the world

Dung beetles

All Dung beetles consisting of more than a few thousand species are from the Scarabaeoidea family and from here splits into a few other subfamilies. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. The following photos are of a Malaysian dung beetle (Gymnopleurus sp.) in action.

Their source of food consists partly or exclusively of faeces. Those that eat dung exclusively do not need to eat or drink anything else, because the dung provides all the necessary nutrients. Making the name, Dung Beetles somehow very appropriate, they are also known as Scarab beetle.
When Dung beetles comes across a piece of dung, it will roll the dung into a spherical ball which are then used as food, some species will bury the dung while another will just stay put where the dung is, living literally on it or in it.

It is truly amazing to observe how dung beetles roll its dung, without looking where it is going it somehow manages to roll the dung in a straight line with its hind legs. It is reported that some dung beetle navigates by using polarization patterns in moonlight but the example shown was rolling its dung in broad daylight. There is much to learn on how straight line navigation was achieved without the benefits of front sight.

Dung beetles, plays an important ecological role in nature by reducing fecal material in nature and in turn reducing the habitat for filth-breeding flies and are considered beneficial insects.

Monkey grasshopper

Not exactly a commonly seen grasshopper belonging to the Eumastacidae family. This colorful grasshopper commonly lives in tropical rain forest and has rather short antennas. Long hind legs are a characteristic of monkey grasshoppers giving them a powerful leap whenever the need arise.

Being colorful mostly but specimen that are somewhat plain can be found as shown in the first photo, it is most probably poisonous, the color being a warning that it is not safe to be eaten. When observe closely their body shape certainly stands out from the common grasshoppers we often see.



There are more than 1,000 different kinds of monkey grasshoppers. Generally, grasshoppers are scientifically categorized into two main groups. Long horn and short horn and this refer to the length of its antennae. The long horns have antennae that are about the length of their body while the short horns have it with less than half their body length. Grasshoppers are than further classified into their respective specific types.


While searching for information on grasshoppers, I have come across some interesting facts which some of you may find interesting.
1. Like all insects they are cold blooded, that could explain why they are more active during a warm sunny day.
2. They breathe through tiny holes called spiracles, in their abdomens as they do not have lungs.
3. Each individual has five eyes, two large compound and three simple eyes. Till today no one is sure how the tree simple eyes are used.
4. The antennae or feelers besides helping it to feel its way around are also used to smell things.

Spider of Malaysia - 1

St. Andrew’s Cross Spider (Agiope Versicolor)

A colorful spider with a reputation of building an attractive web with an extra structure called stabilimentum. This structure helps to attract more prey and perhaps also explains the hypothesis of it being bigger than a normal spider due to its ability of catching more food.

The extra web structure also resembles a cross which explains the common name, unfortunately the photo I have taken do not show the web in great detail.

Wide-Jawed Viciria (Viciria praemandibularis)

I am not too sure if I had identified this spider correctly but comparison of photos available of this species of spider with the specimen I took pictures of seem to suggest it at least comes from the genus Viciria.

According to Wikipedia, Viciria is a spider genus of the Salticidae jumping spider family