Northern Walkingstick

Northern Walkingstick

Diapheromera femorata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Washington

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

74 Verified sightings at Washington
127 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Northern Walkingstick

The common walkingstick or northern walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) is a species of phasmid or stick insect found across North America. The average length of this species is 75 millimetres (3.0 inches) for males and 95 mm (3.7 in) for females.

The insect is found in deciduous forest throughout North America, where it eats many types of plant foliage. Even though the common walkingstick is a generalist it does tend to prefer foliage from oak and hazelnut trees. Localised clusters of these insects sometimes occur; however, the insects have no wings, and dispersal from tree to tree is limited.

The common walkingstick is a slender, elongated insect that camouflages itself by resembling a twig. The sexes differ, with the male usually being brown and about 75 mm (3 in) in length while the female is greenish-brown, and rather larger at 95 mm (3.7 in). There are three pairs of legs, but at rest, the front pair is extended forward beside the antennae, forming an extension of the twig-like effect. Neither sex has wings, the antennae are two-thirds of the length of the body, and each of the cerci (paired appendages at the tip of the abdomen) has a single segment.

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Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Walkingstick in Washington?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Walkingstick sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 354th most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Northern Walkingstick in Washington?

September and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Walkingstick in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Northern Walkingstick?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Walkingstick sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Washington the best place to see a Northern Walkingstick?

3rd of 8

Of the 8 cities where we can rate Northern Walkingstick sightings, Washington ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Detroit (United States, about 10%) and Toronto (Canada, under 5%).

Where does the Northern Walkingstick sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Northern Walkingstick is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (74 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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