Research on the tea-tree stick insect has found that more and more females are reproducing without the aid of a male.
The research by Massey University and the Department of Conservation also shows that females reproducing on their own, always produce female offspring.
Massey University scientist, Dr Mary Morgan-Richards says it has always been known that stick insects can reproduce parthenogenically.
However it is not clear why the parthenogenic females seem to produce more offspring than the sexual females, she says.
