Phasmida
Guides
Amiseginae
Amiseginae is a subfamily of cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae) containing over 30 genera and approximately 150 described species. These wasps are obligate parasitoids of stick insect eggs (Phasmatodea), a highly specialized ecological relationship that has persisted since at least the mid-Cretaceous. Females of some genera are flightless and exhibit ant-like morphology. The subfamily has a global distribution.
Diapheromera covilleae
creosote bush walkingstick
Diapheromera covilleae, the creosote bush walkingstick, is a wingless stick insect endemic to the Sonoran Desert region. Adults range from 5–10 cm in length with pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are larger, grey in coloration, and 3–4 cm longer than males, which are brown. The species exhibits strong host-plant fidelity to creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and related desert vegetation. It is strictly nocturnal and highly cryptic, making detection difficult despite being locally abundant.
Diapheromera tamaulipensis
Tamaulipas Walkingstick
Diapheromera tamaulipensis, commonly known as the Tamaulipas Walkingstick, is a species of stick insect in the family Diapheromeridae. The species was described by Rehn in 1909 and is native to the southern United States and Mexico. It belongs to a genus of walkingsticks known for their elongated, twig-like bodies and cryptic appearance. Based on related species in the genus, adults likely exhibit strong crypsis resembling plant stems.
Diapheromera torquata
Diapheromera torquata is a species of walkingstick insect in the family Diapheromeridae, described by Hebard in 1934. It belongs to a genus of slender, cryptic phasmids native to North America. Like other members of Diapheromera, this species exhibits stick-like camouflage and swaying behavior to avoid predation. Available information on this species is limited, with most documentation coming from taxonomic databases rather than detailed field studies.
Manomera tenuescens
Slender-bodied Walkingstick
Manomera tenuescens, commonly known as the slender-bodied walkingstick, is a species of stick insect in the family Diapheromeridae. It is native to the southeastern United States. The species was first described by Scudder in 1900.
Parabacillus
Short-horn Walkingsticks
Parabacillus is a genus of short-horn walkingsticks in the family Heteronemiidae, established by Caudell in 1903. The genus contains at least three described species: Parabacillus coloradus, P. hesperus, and P. palmeri. These stick insects are native to western North America and are characterized by their cryptic, twig-like appearance. They are seldom encountered due to their excellent camouflage.
Parabacillus hesperus
western short-horn walkingstick, western short-horned walkingstick
Parabacillus hesperus is a stick insect species in the family Heteronemiidae, commonly known as the western short-horn walkingstick. It exhibits strong crypsis, blending with vegetation to avoid detection by predators. The species has been documented across the western United States with recent range extensions into the Pacific Northwest.
Pseudosermyle catalinae
Catalina walkingstick
Pseudosermyle catalinae, commonly known as the Catalina walkingstick, is a species of stick insect in the family Diapheromeridae. It was described by Rentz and Weissman in 1981. The species is endemic to Santa Catalina Island, California, making it a geographically restricted phasmid with limited known observations.
Sermyle mexicana
Mexican Walkingstick
Sermyle mexicana is a stick insect species commonly known as the Mexican Walkingstick. It belongs to the family Diapheromeridae, a group of neotropical walkingsticks characterized by slender, elongated bodies. The species occurs in parts of Mexico and Texas, USA, inhabiting areas where its cryptic morphology provides effective camouflage against vegetation.
Timema californicum
California timema
Timema californicum is a sexually dimorphic walkingstick insect endemic to California. Males are smaller than females and possess conspicuous cerci used to grasp females during copulation. The species exhibits hemimetabolous development with gradual morphological changes: hatchlings are phenotypically identical between sexes, juveniles show minor differences, and adults display pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males complete development with one fewer moult than females.
Timema genevievae
Genevieve's Timema
Timema genevievae is a species of walkingstick insect in the family Timematidae. It is one of several Timema species known for reproducing asexually via parthenogenesis. The species is endemic to California. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits cryptic coloration that provides camouflage against host plants.
Timema nevadense
Nevada Timema
Timema nevadense, known as the Nevada Timema, is a species of walkingstick in the family Timematidae. The species was described by Strohecker in 1966. It is one of approximately 20 species in the genus Timema, which represents a basal lineage of Phasmida restricted to western North America. Like other Timema species, it is a small, wingless stick insect with reduced morphology compared to more derived phasmids.
Timema ritense
Santa Rita timema, Santa Rita Mountains Timema
Timema ritense is a species of walkingstick insect in the family Timematidae, endemic to the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona. The species was originally described as 'Timema ritensis' but underwent a mandatory spelling correction to 'ritense' to match the neuter gender of the genus Timema, following ICZN Article 31.2. Like other members of the genus Timema, it is a small, wingless phasmid with reduced morphology compared to other stick insects. The species is among the few Timema species with documented distribution records, though detailed ecological studies remain limited.
Timematidae
Timematidae is a family of small, stout-bodied stick insects comprising the single genus Timema. These insects are native to western North America and represent one of the earliest-diverging lineages of Phasmida. They are notable for their relatively short, compact bodies compared to the elongated forms typical of most stick insects.