A bright green female jungle nymph stick insect on leaves. — Photo: Acrocynus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jungle Nymph

Heteropteryx dilatata

A big, thorny, leaf-green stick insect of tropical rainforests whose females snap their spiny back legs together in defense.

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About the Jungle Nymph

Jungle nymphs, also called giant thorny walking sticks, live in tropical rainforests and eat bramble, oak and other leaves. Females are bright light green and about 7 inches long, with thorn-like spines that make them look like spiny plants. Males are brown, about 4 inches long and can fly. Jungle nymphs are quiet by day and active at night.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Heteropteryx dilatata^[1]
Size: Females about 7 inches; males about 4 inches.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Bramble, oak and other leaves.^[1]
Habitat: Tropical rainforest.^[1]
Group life: Nocturnal.^[1]
Conservation status: Common; not endangered. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

Females snap their spiny hind legs together to pinch attackers.^[1]
Females hiss by rubbing their small wings.^[1]
Some walking sticks can lay eggs that hatch into clones of themselves.^[1]

Vocabulary

parthenogenesis: Reproduction by a female without a male.
phasmid: A stick or leaf insect.
clone: A living thing that is an exact genetic copy of another.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
camouflage: Colors, patterns or shapes that help an animal blend in.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · InvertebratesSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
Oakland ZooOakland, California · House of BugsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Thorny Phasmids.” https://www.sfzoo.org/thorny-phasmids/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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