Phasmatodea
Guides
Anisomorpha
two-striped walkingsticks, twostriped walkingsticks
Anisomorpha is a genus of large wingless walking stick insects (Phasmida) known for their potent chemical defense. Adults possess paired metathoracic glands that discharge an irritating secretion capable of causing intense burning pain and temporary blindness in predators, including humans. Females are substantially larger than males, with some individuals reaching nearly four inches in length. The genus contains four accepted species distributed across the southeastern United States, Central America, and northern South America.
Chrysops cincticornis
Ring-clawed Deer Fly
Chrysops cincticornis is a deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Walker in 1848. It is commonly known as the Ring-clawed Deer Fly. The species has been documented in Vermont and other parts of the United States, with 291 observations recorded on iNaturalist. Research on this species has focused on its oviposition behavior and fecundity, with laboratory studies showing females deposit eggs in gelatinous masses on mud substrates near water, averaging 156 eggs per female.
deer-flyTabanidaeDipteramedical-entomologyovipositionfecundityring-clawed-deer-flyVermontUnited-Statesmud-substrategelatinous-egg-massChrysopsinaeChrysopsiniWalker-1848iNaturalistlaboratory-rearingegg-mass156-eggsrange-42-312near-watermud-like-substrateegg-depositionreproductionbehavioral-studymedical-entomology-researchinsect-vectorsbiting-fliestabanid-flieshorse-fliesdeer-fliesChrysopsNorth-AmericaNew-Englandobservation-recordssynonym-status-in-Catalogue-of-Lifeaccepted-status-in-GBIFarthropodinsectflyBrachyceraTabanomorphaHexapodaPterygotaAnimaliaArthropodaInsectacincticornisChrysops-cincticornis-Walker-1848Chrysops-(Chrysops)-cincticornisdeerflyhorseflytabanidbiting-flyvectoroviposition-behaviorfecundity-studyJournal-of-Medical-Entomology198210.1093/jmedent/19.5.597gelatinous-secretionmudwaterlaboratory-conditionsmean-fecundityegg-productionreproductive-biologyentomologyinsect-behaviorinsect-reproductiondipterantrue-flytwo-winged-flynematoceranCyclorrhaphaAschizaSchizophoraAcalyptrataeCalyptrataeOestroideaMuscoideaHippoboscoideaGlossinidaeCalliphoridaeSarcophagidaeMuscidaeFanniidaeAnthomyiidaeScathophagidaeOestridaeTachinidaeSiphonapteraPhthirapteraHemipteraColeopteraLepidopteraHymenopteraNeuropteraMegalopteraRaphidiopteraTrichopteraStrepsipteraMecopteraDipluraProturaCollembolaZygentomaArchaeognathaEphemeropteraOdonataPlecopteraGrylloblattodeaMantophasmatodeaPhasmatodeaOrthopteraDermapteraEmbiopteraZorapteraIsopteraBlattodeaMantodeaPhyllodocidaNotopteraWalker1848speciestaxongelatinoushabitatdistributionGBIFCatalogue-of-LifeNCBIlaboratory-studybehaviorlife-cyclesubstratemud-likemeanrange42-312femaleobservationrecordspecimencollectionmuseumresearchstudyarticleabstractDOIbiologyecologyhorse-flyacceptedsynonymtaxonomyclassificationUS291-observationslaboratory291-iNaturalist-observationsGBIF-distribution-recordsaccepted-species-statussynonym-in-Catalogue-of-Life156-eggs-mean-fecundityrange-42-312-eggs1982-Journal-of-Medical-Entomology-publicationDOI-10.1093/jmedent/19.5.597entomology-researchdipteran-biologyDiapheromera carolina
Carolina Walkingstick
Diapheromera carolina is a walkingstick species in the family Diapheromeridae, commonly known as the Carolina walkingstick. It is native to the southeastern United States, with documented records from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. As a member of the order Phasmida, it exhibits the characteristic cryptic morphology and behavior typical of walkingsticks.
Diapheromera velii
prairie walkingstick
Diapheromera velii, commonly known as the prairie walkingstick, is a species of stick insect in the family Diapheromeridae. It is native to North America and has been documented in prairie and grassland habitats, particularly in sandy areas. The species exhibits two recognized subspecies: D. v. velii and D. v. eucnemis. Like other walkingsticks, it relies on crypsis for predator avoidance.
Heteronemiidae
walkingsticks, stick insects
Heteronemiidae is a family of stick insects (order Phasmatodea) comprising approximately 14 genera and at least 80 described species. The family is primarily distributed in the Neotropics, with significant diversity in Brazil, though some species occur in the Nearctic region including the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Members of this family exhibit camouflage morphology, with some species described as 'mossy stick insects' due to their crypsis in forest habitats.
Timema boharti
Bohart's timema
Timema boharti is a small walkingstick species in the family Timematidae, endemic to California. It inhabits xeric pinyon-juniper woodland with chaparral intrusions at elevations around 915 m. The species exhibits two distinct colour morphs—greyish and green—with assortative mating by colour phase. It is nocturnal and has been collected in late April, with both mating pairs and late-instar nymphs observed. Like other Timema species, it is wingless and feeds on host plants within its specialized habitat.