[2] Fully grown males in mating season exhibit frenetic behaviour.

The species was first described in 1835 by George Robert Gray as Ctenomorphodes tessulata (later corrected to tessulatus).

Females are short winged and flightless, whilst the long-winged males are capable of flight.

The presence of sand or litter helps the young phasmatid to completely free its metathoracic legs - if the eggs are placed loosely on the surface the nymph frequently cannot accomplish this and usually dies still attached to the shell.

Whilst reaching adulthood the tesselated phasmid needs to keep feeding in order to grow, which can cause significant defoliation.