Subject: What is this?
Geographic location of the bug: Placencia, Belize
Time: 01:07 AM EDT
This is big, what is it?
How you want your letter signed: AP
This is a Katydid, and it appears to be a species that mimics bark to help camouflage it from its enemies. It resembles this Katydid from Panama that Katydid expert Piotr Naskrecki identified as Acanthodis curvidens. There is an image on Visuals Unlimited that is identified as that species as well. We will attempt to contact Piotr Naskrecki for verification.
Piotr Naskrecki provides a correction.
Not only is this not the same species, it is not even the same order. This animal is a phasmid (stick insect) Prisopus sp. (Phasmida: Pseudophasmatidae). These animals are chemically protected and produce a strong, repellant smell when disturbed.
Still a little confused, The Prisopus actually only had 2 legs on each side while ours has 3, does that make a difference? Please advise.
All insects have six legs, but some insects position themselves in such a way as to conceal body parts, including legs.