A photo from open sources
A group of Japanese scientists led by a professor at Kobe University Kenji Suetsugu (Kenji Suezugu) discovered an amazing strategy breeding insects from the squad of stick insects.
Ghostbusters, as the pilgrims are also called for their skill masked, widespread throughout the world, while biologists have always wondered why these sedentary insects, not able to fly, easily settled over most of the earth’s territory, even islands that have no connection with the mainland. By the way, this a riddle tormented Darwin himself, he could not find her answer.
Now this answer has been found by Japanese researchers. It turned out sticks use a mechanism widespread in plant world. That is, when birds or animals eat berries, fruits, they spread the seeds of these plants through the esophagus. it and it’s understandable, because neither trees nor grass can independently to move around, and the use of wind in this case, as it does, let’s say dandelion has very limited capabilities, therefore the best mechanism for spreading seeds is through the esophagus of birds.
A photo from open sources
The most amazing thing is that the wands also use this successfully. When birds peck at these “invisibles” (despite the virtuoso camouflage, sticks are successfully eaten by birds, for example, thrushes and especially short-fingered bulbs for which these insects are the main source of nutrition), they are not completely their digested – there are eggs that remain with excrement enter new territories and hatch there in new the wands.
Sticks use a plant propagation mechanism
As Japanese scientists found out, up to 20 percent of stick eggs stored in the esophagus of birds due to their strong shell, more Moreover, since these insects are capable of parthenogenesis (development embryo from an unfertilized egg), then the success of such a strategy reproduction and distribution is obvious.
A photo from open sources
There was such a strategy, says Kenji Suezugu, thanks evolutionary necessity, because sticks are actually very similar to the plant twigs under which they are masked, not knowing how to fly and conquer new territories without the help of others.
Of course, there is a difference from the plant world. For instance, an apple tree or a cherry literally demonstrates (in every possible way) its tasty fruits and berries, as the plants are not harmful from this. The stick men, of course, do not offer themselves to be eaten by birds, on the contrary, they disguise themselves so masterly that they can envy many representatives of the animal world.
But if you noticed and ate the stickman, then be kind, follow the task of spreading this type of insect throughout that the territory that you cover due to your ability to fly. Probably, this is how one can convey in words what invested in the mechanism of reproduction and distribution of sticks nature. I must say, the mechanism for insects is simple masterly…
An article by Japanese scientists about all this came out recently in a journal Ecology.
Insects Birds Plants Japan
