Douglas-fir Timema vs Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Douglas-fir Timema Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Scientific Name Timema douglasi Extatosoma tiaratum
Order Phasmatodea Phasmatodea
Family Timematidae Phasmatidae
Size 1.5-2 cm 100-150 mm (females)
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions United States (Oregon), United States (Northern California) Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Douglas-fir Timema

A parthenogenetic timema that feeds on old-growth Douglas fir. All-female populations can occasionally cause noticeable defoliation.

💡

Did You Know?

It reproduces entirely without males and can reach outbreak densities that defoliate old-growth Douglas fir trees.

Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Large Australian stick insect with lobed legs resembling leaves. Females drop eggs that mimic seeds — ants carry them underground to their nests where they safely develop.

💡

Did You Know?

Giant prickly stick insect eggs have a knob that mimics a seed nutrient body — ants carry the eggs to their underground nests, unwittingly protecting them from predators.