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Bacillus rossius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Phasmatodea
Family:	Bacillidae
Genus:	Bacillus
Species:	B. rossius
Binomial name
Bacillus rossius (Rossi, 1790)
Subspecies[1]
Bacillus rossius subsp. catalauniae L.Bullini, 1982 Bacillus rossius subsp. lobipes Lucas, 1849 Bacillus rossius subsp. medeae Nascetti & L.Bullini, 1983 Bacillus rossius subsp. montalentii L.Bullini, 1982 Bacillus rossius subsp. redtenbacheri Padewieth, 1899 Bacillus rossius subsp. rossius Bacillus rossius subsp. tripolitanus (Haan & W.de, 1842)
Synonyms[1]
Mantis rossia Rossi, 1790 Pseudomantis rossius Rossius, 1790

The European stick insect (Bacillus rossius) also called the European stick bug, European walking stick, or Mediterranean stick insect, is a species of stick insect, common in southern Europe. The species is endemic to the northwestern Mediterranean, especially Italy, Spain, Southern France, and the Balkans.^[2][3]

Adults have a slim body, with short antennae and long, thin legs. Colors vary from brown to green, sometimes with a pinkish tinge on its head, legs and sides. This species can eat bramble leaves, ivy, and privet. B. rossius can be found from June to mid December and the eggs look like seeds. Females are larger than the male, with a bigger abdomen. An adult can be 10 cm (4 inches) in length.

The nymphs hatch out from their seed-like eggs 8 weeks to 2 months after being laid by a female. Like the adult, the nymphs sway as in a breeze to avoid predators. B. rossius lives up to a year. They are nocturnal and may stay still for hours and usually feed at night. They shed the exoskeleton a few times in their life.

The predators include birds, frogs, lizards, rodents and spiders.

• Many young stick insects on leaves (video)
• 
  A brown form
• 
  B. rossius on a twig
• 
  A green form
• Video of a European stick insect (B. rossius)
• 
  Eating a leaf of Rubus ulmifolius (mouthparts also visible)
• 
  Adult and nymph
• 
  Female stick insect
• 
  Female (head's detail)
• 
  A stick bug

• Bacillus atticus atticus, the endemic Bacillus of Greece

Media related to Bacillus rossius at Wikimedia Commons

• Phasmid Study Group: Bacillus rossius
• Bacillus rossius at phasmatodea.com Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
• ASPER site : Information about this species. (in French)