Stick insects (order Phasmida) preparing to mate. The brightly coloured male is standing on top of the larger and drably coloured female. Stick insect

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Stick insects (order Phasmida) preparing to mate. The brightly coloured male is standing on top of the larger and drably coloured female. Stick insects can reproduce sexually, or asexually by parthenogenesis. If the female's eggs are not fertilised by a male before she lays them, all of the eggs will produce females. After sexual reproduction both males and females are produced. Photographed in the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador.

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Size: 4842px × 3623px
Photo credit: © DR MORLEY READ/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: amazon, america, american, animal, biological, biology, camouflage, couple, dimorphic, dimorphism, duo, ecuador, fauna, female, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, leaf, male, nature, pair, rainforest, reproduction, sexual, south, stick, tropical, wildlife, zoological, zoology