Timematidae
Guides
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.
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 chumash
Chumash Timema
Timema chumash is a species of walkingstick insect in the family Timematidae, endemic to California. Like other members of the genus Timema, it is a small, wingless phasmid with reduced body size compared to most stick insects. The species was described by Hebard in 1920. It is part of a genus notable for being the only known genus of stick insects in the Americas with a relictual distribution in western North America.
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 poppense
Pope Valley Timema
Timema poppense is a small walkingstick insect endemic to California, originally described from a nature reserve in Pope Valley in 1999. It belongs to the family Timematidae, a basal lineage of stick insects characterized by reduced wings and nocturnal habits. The species name was corrected from the original "poppensis" to "poppense" to match the neuter gender of the genus Timema per ICZN rules.
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.