Phantoms in Murphysboro State Park (or Phasma of the Optera)

Two members of the Family Phasmidae out for a stroll together at Murphysboro State Park

Secret Aging Man, known to my regular readers as SAM (if I still have any regular readers?), was quick to spot these two walking stick lovers out for their own kind of walk whilst we were taking our usual stroll at the park. I have been meaning to post about them since last month when I snapped the picture, but my thoughts of late have been preoccupied by weightier matters. Time for something light and fun, I decided this afternoon. "All walk and no write makes W2W a dull girl," you might say.

According to one site I found on the subject of walking sticks, the ladies of the species appear to have the upper hand (don't they always?) as far as reproduction goes. They can lay eggs that hatch without any help at all from their male companions. And of course, these eggs only produce females. Judging from these two specimens that we saw on our walk, parthenogenesis is the furthest thing from their little minds: Time to make some males or else the females will end up ruling the world! We can't have that happening, can we?

No, we wouldn't want those males to become "Phasma (phantoms) of the Optera." They are needed (and wanted) for various things from time to time, not the least of which includes accompanying those female walkers on long strolls through the park.