Giant Walkingstick vs Galapagos Flightless Katydid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Walkingstick Galapagos Flightless Katydid
Scientific Name Megaphasma denticrus Nesoecia cooksoni
Order Phasmatodea Orthoptera
Family Phasmatidae Tettigoniidae
Size 75-180 mm 40-60 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America South America
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Giant Walkingstick

The longest insect native to North America at up to 180 mm. Completely wingless and nocturnal. Named for small spines under its mesofemur.

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Did You Know?

At 7 inches long, this is North Americas largest insect by length — yet it is so well camouflaged as a twig that most people walk right past them without noticing.

Galapagos Flightless Katydid

A large flightless katydid endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Part of the archipelagos remarkable pattern where 74% of endemic orthopterans have lost the ability to fly.

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Did You Know?

In the Galapagos, 74% of endemic grasshoppers and crickets have evolved flightlessness — the same pattern seen in many island insect populations worldwide.