NEOSHO, Mo. (KFVS) - The Missouri Department of Conservation shared a photo of a giant walkingstick.
They said Jimmy Sexton took the photo of the insect on his property near Neosho. It measured 9.5 inches.
According to MDC Forest Entomologist Robbie Doerhoff, if there was a record, this walkingstick would probably get a trophy.
According to the MDC, the giant walkingstick is the largest insect in North America, and is easy to distinguish from Missouri’s more common stick insect, the northern walkingstick, because of its huge size and because the middle and hind legs have spines.
They say the color can very from greenish to tan, to brown, to rusty brown.
The giant walkingstick eats leaves and is found in trees and shrubs.
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