Innate behaviour for stick insects

This Extatosoma Tiaratum nymph (juvenile) is playing dead to confuse its predators. Notice how it is starting to resemble a scorpion.

Many stick insects behave in very strange and unusual ways. You often see insects swaying from side to side when the wind blows. They mimic leaves swaying in the wind. When the stick insects fall from their branch to the ground they remain absolutely still. Rather than scurry away to hide, the insect stays motionless. After all, what would a stick that has fallen from the tree do?

Some insects are so deceptive they play dead even when handled and their lives are in danger. Click the picture on the left to see a 400kb of this strange behaviour.

The nymph of the Spiny Leaf Insect looks like a bull ant (above).
Observation.

Observation

Do adult Spiny Leaf Insects play dead when threatened?

Some stick insects look like menacing scorpions.

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