Nutrition

     Diapheromera femorata prefers a limited list of plant species. It eats the leaves of the plants that it relies on for both shelter and camouflage.

                    
Figure 4. Defoliated trees in Mena, Arizona.    forestryimages.org

·         Plant species

   o   White Oak, Black Oak, Willow Oak, Black Locust, Virginia Rose, Sassafras, Black Cherry, and Red Clover (Wirth 2005).

·         Effects

   o   Diapheromera fermorata can be severely damaging to its host. A population that is too high can damage a tree enough to kill it. The only waste product of The Walking Stick is uric acid, which is relatively dry and odorless (Porter 2012).