Walkingstick
Guides
Anisomorpha buprestoides
Southern Two-striped Walkingstick, Devil Rider, Musk Mare, Twostriped Walkingstick
Anisomorpha buprestoides is among the largest insects in the continental United States, with females reaching nearly 100 mm. This phasmid exhibits extreme sexual size dimorphism, with females substantially larger than males. The species is notable for its potent chemical defense spray containing anisomorphal and related compounds, which can cause severe eye irritation in humans. Three regionally distinct color morphs occur: brown, white, and orange forms, with the latter two restricted to specific areas of Florida.
Anisomorpha ferruginea
Northern Two-striped Walkingstick, Dark Walkingstick, Prairie Alligator
A large, sexually dimorphic walkingstick native to North America, recognized by two longitudinal pale stripes running the length of its dark brown to black body. Females are substantially larger than males. The species possesses chemical defense glands behind the head that can spray a noxious terpene dialdehyde mist when threatened. Active primarily in autumn when mating pairs are most frequently observed.
Diapheromera 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 femorata
Northern Walkingstick, Common Walkingstick
Diapheromera femorata is the most widespread and economically significant stick insect native to the United States. Adults reach 75–95 mm in length, with females typically larger than males. The species is notable for periodic outbreak populations that can cause localized defoliation of trees, particularly oaks. It is the only phasmid of documented economic importance in North America, with historical outbreaks affecting thousands of hectares in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
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.
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.
Diapheromeridae
Common Walking Stick Insects
Diapheromeridae is a family of stick insects within the order Phasmatodea. As of 2025, its exact position within Euphasmatodea remains unresolved (incertae sedis), not assigned to any known superfamily. The family contains two subfamilies: Diapheromerinae and Palophinae. Some species are notably large, with Paraphanocles keratosqueleton exceeding 30 cm in length. Members of this family are phytophagous and exhibit cryptic stick-like morphology typical of the order.
Haplopus scabricollis
Mayer's Walkingstick
Haplopus scabricollis is a Caribbean walkingstick known as Mayer's Walkingstick. It inhabits island and coastal environments in the Caribbean Sea and southern Florida, including the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Cayman Islands, and Swan Islands. The species shows a restricted insular distribution pattern characteristic of many Caribbean phasmids.
Manomera
blatchley walkingstick, slender-bodied walkingstick
Manomera is a genus of walkingsticks in the family Diapheromeridae, established by Rehn and Hebard in 1907. The genus contains at least three described species found in North America: M. blatchleyi, M. brachypyga, and M. tenuescens. These insects are characterized by their elongated, stick-like bodies typical of phasmids. The genus is part of the diverse Diapheromeridae family, one of the largest families within the order Phasmida.
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.
Megaphasma
giant walkingstick
Megaphasma is a genus of giant walkingsticks in the family Diapheromeridae, containing at least two described species. The genus includes Megaphasma denticrus, recognized as the longest insect species in North America, with females reaching 150+ mm in body length. Members of this genus are characterized by their exceptional size, cryptic stick-like appearance, and distinctive morphological features including toothed mesofemora. The genus is primarily distributed in the south-central United States.
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.
Pseudosermyle strigata
Striped Walkingstick
Pseudosermyle strigata, commonly known as the striped walkingstick, is a species of phasmid in the family Diapheromeridae. It is native to North America, with documented occurrences in the southeastern United States. The species was described by Scudder in 1900. Like other walkingsticks, it exhibits cryptic morphology resembling plant material.
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 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 cristinae
Cristina's Timema
Timema cristinae is a small, flightless stick insect endemic to a restricted region of southern California chaparral. The species exhibits striking color-pattern polymorphism with green, striped, and melanic morphs that provide differential camouflage on two host plants: Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) and Ceanothus spinosus. It has become a prominent model system for studying ecological speciation, host adaptation, and the interplay between natural selection and gene flow. The species reproduces sexually with females laying single eggs coated in ingested soil, which require soil contact for successful development.
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.