Stick insects are masters of disguise, mostly relying on passive camouflage in order to avoid predators. Unsurprisingly the majority look like sticks, although some resemble leaves, and can be incredibly hard to find among vegetation. So effective is their camouflage that they are named after the Latin word phasma, which means, “ghost”, in reference to their ability to go unseen.

There is about 2 700 known species of stick insect, most of which are found in the tropics. In Europe there is approximately 20 species – only a small portion of the total number. It will come as no surprise to know that stick insects claim the crown of the longest insects in the world.