Leaf Bug Facts

Belonging to the order Phasmida, leaf bugs are also known as phasmids and are among the most successful camouflagers known to exist in the animal kingdom. Bearing slender and delicate bodies, these bugs are also termed as 'true plant bugs'. There are more than one thousand species of these insects, out of which nearly 1/4th of the population resides in the United States. Although, known as 'true plant bugs', not all of them are true plant feeders. Some of them are also known to prey on other types of insects. Leaf bugs are also a favorite choice among many pet owners and they do make good pets.

Habitat and Feeding
Warm environment and not to mention, 'plenty of leaves', are the favorable conditions which make these creatures feel at home. Leaves of raspberry, rose, eucalyptus and photinia, and blackberry leaves being the favorite, are included in the leaf bug diet. Some leaf bugs can live feeding only on blackberry leaves for their entire lifetime. Now that must be quite boring!

Drinking water requirement is taken care of by obtaining water from plants. Lady leaf bugs have been known to feed on baby stick bugs and are good mothers; they do not eat their own! However, a female who is in a phase of laying eggs tends to eat voraciously and so may feed on baby leaf bugs also; may be not so good mothers after all!

Behavior With Its Own Types
A leaf bug may not have the ability to identify its own type from a mere leaf, due to the 'eye-fooling' camouflage of the insects. Many a time, a bug may be seen nibbling on a leaf which may actually turn out to be another bug. 'Sorry bro, I took you to be my dinner!'

Reproduction
Leaf bugs are subjected to molting and when they molt for the last time, it indicates the start of the reproduction phase. Hundreds of eggs are laid by the females in their lifetime and these eggs require a place filled with sand and gravel. Three to six months is the time after which the birth may be expected and it usually takes place in warmer weathers.

Other Facts
At day time, these impostures play dead, like a stick or a dead leave and when frightened, they may move like a dry leaf, carried away by the breeze.

Ants are a great threat to the eggs of leaf bugs and that is the reason why their eggs look like tiny ants. Some of these insects happen to get stuck to their eggs and die trying to make an escape.

A leaf bug is capable of regeneration. If it loses its limb, it can replace it the next time it molts (periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles). However, once it has reached its adulthood, it can no more replace the lost limb, as then it will not be able to molt anymore.

If you are planning on keeping a leaf bug as your pet then take utmost care of its food; do not forget the blackberry leaves - their favorite! These insects, when kept well in captivity, will continue reproducing for a long time. When eggs are hatched, as mentioned, put them in a container with sand and fine gravel. Misting the leaf bugs and their eggs adds to their healthy growth. A small aquarium and fresh supply of leaves, would make a perfect 'home-sweet-home' for these masters of deception!