Weird Bug Found in New York State Has an Even Weirder Name
This little guy is terrifying, and he's multiplying!
It's amazing how people can be scared of creepy insects, regardless of how tiny they are. But let's be honest, if you saw this little bug crawling on your leg... you'd be terrified too!
Touch-Me-Not Stick Insect
Yes... that's its name and what it looks like. Epidares nolimetangere, better known as the Touch-Me-Not Stick insect, gets its name from the pointy spikes on its back. Though this one is in New York, you won't find them in the wild.
Commonly found in Borneo, this little bugger is a native insect of Asia. But why is it here in Central New York? Because it's having babies at the Utica Zoo!
Female Touch-Me-Not Stick insects are almost always laying eggs. They typically will lay up 3 eggs every week for 20 months. Those even tinier babies, known as nymphs, will become adults after 8 to 10 months.
Just look at how small these insects are, to begin with!
They start super tiny, but end up growing on average between 3 and 4.5 centimeters in length. Sadly, like most bugs, they don't live long. Their life expectancy is only 1-2 years total.
SEE ALSO: Rare, Invasive Bugs You Can Find in NY
The Utica Zoo plans to eventually make the Touch-Me-Not Stick insects a part of their Education Program. For now, they kept behind closed doors in their Ambassador Animal area.
The best way to find out about the other cool animals, bugs and birds at the zoo is to follow them on Facebook or visit them for yourself!
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