This is a warning to anyone who keeps or may be wanting to keep stick insects,
Stick insects are members of the class Arthropoda and the order
Phasmatodea, they are herbivores, spending their lives on foliage, moving slowly, depending mostly on camouflage to save them in a world of hungry predators, there are over 3.000 known species of stick insect and species such as the American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha bupestroides) and to a lesser extent Pink Winged (Sipyloidea sipylus) have a defensive chemical spray which in the case of American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha bupestroides) can cause temporary blindness and considerable pain to an adult,(this happend to me), if you are going to get stick insects or have some and wish to get more i suggest researching the species first before getting them.

where they sold to you with this warning? surley not many will be sold in the pet trade?

they were not sold to me with any warning, i got them of ebay,i got some in my mouth it hurt for about half an hour, i then resold them on ebay with a warning on them, that was about last year back then i didint know that some were toxic,i dont know many are being sold in the pet trade, but there are many internet shops who are selling them without any warnings,and lots are being sold on ebay.

cant you tell ebay about the warning, thanks for warning us, I think this should be made a sticky... could you post a link to what they look like as not everyone looks at the names of species to some people a stick insects a stick insect.

here is the Pink Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sipylus)


http://www.tiere-kleinanzeigen.com/e...aadccf5d57.jpg


and the American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha bupestroides)


American Walking Stick (Anisomorpha buprestoides) - Google Images

thanks for that can this be made a sticky

I had some of these when I was young, never ever had a problem with them other than the rate they multiplied. They lay about 200 eggs a night all of which hatch and they don't need a partner to fertilise them. Within a week our house was crawling with tiny stick insects that escaped the tank we had them in. Never even knew they could spit stuff at you.

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i dont know how to make it a sticky, as im new to the forum.

hi Kammie,

I love stick insects and i have 3 different species and a species of leaf insect,
i think the species you had was the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) which does not spray toxins that i know of,which explains why you never had problems.

http://www.biol.pmf.hr/e-skola/odgov...ike/odg327.jpg

the Indian stick insect is the only species that i know is capable of parthenogenesis, but as there are over 3.000 species i may be wrong.

This does not need to be a Sticky - there is nothing wrong with Pink Winged stick insects, they are completely harmless. The "rumour" that Pink Winged stick insects are poisonous was an incorrect statement on the Amateur Entomological Society website, which has since been removed.

The American species (the Florida stick insect, A.buprestoides) is indeed harmful but no reputable seller in the UK would breed or sell this species. It is very unlikely that you that you would find it for sale in the UK. If you did Rob158, then you should not have sold it on!

Do not let this dangerous species put you off keeping stick insects - most are perfectly harmless. Some types have defensive sprays (that smell) but they are not TOXIC.