Stick Insect (Phasmid) Reproduction: Egg-Laying & Nymph Development

Stick insects (phasmids) are oviparous—females lay eggs, they do not carry live young.

Reproductive Strategies

• Sexual reproduction: Male fertilizes female; eggs laid singly or in batches.
• Parthenogenesis: Many species reproduce asexually; all-female populations common.

Egg & Nymph Biology

• Eggs mimic seeds (capitulum for ant dispersal in some species).
• Incubation: weeks to >1 year (diapause).
• Nymphs hatch as miniature adults; undergo 5–7 molts (instars) to maturity.
• No parental care; nymphs independent immediately.

Myth busting: They do not carry babies on their backs (that's some arachnids, e.g., scorpions).