Winged Stick Insect vs Red Assassin Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Winged Stick Insect Red Assassin Bug
Scientific Name Megacrania batesii Rhynocoris iracundus
Order Phasmatodea Hemiptera
Family Phasmatidae Reduviidae
Size 100-140mm 12-18 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Oceania Europe, western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Winged Stick Insect

A large bright green stick insect with well-developed wings that can fly short distances. It feeds on pandanus palms along tropical coastlines. When threatened it sprays a peppermint-scented defensive chemical.

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Did You Know?

It sprays a liquid that smells exactly like peppermint oil from glands in its thorax when threatened.

Red Assassin Bug

A striking red and black assassin bug common in European meadows and grasslands. It is a generalist predator that hunts among flowers and vegetation. The bright red coloration serves as a warning to potential predators.

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Did You Know?

It hunts by ambush among wildflowers, using its raptorial forelegs to snatch visiting pollinators and other flower-visiting insects.