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Stick Insects

Order Phasmatodea

131 species

Masters of camouflage that resemble twigs, leaves, or bark. Some species can reproduce parthenogenetically and many can regenerate lost limbs.

Species in this Order

Phasmatidae

African Giant Stick Insect

Palophus centaurus

One of the largest stick insects in East Africa, with females reaching over 20 cm in length. It has ...

150-230 mm (females)
Bacillidae

African Twig Stick Insect

Clonopsis maroccana

A slender stick insect that mimics dry twigs with remarkable accuracy. It reproduces parthenogenetic...

50-70 mm
Phasmatidae

Amazonian Giant Stick Insect

Bacteria ferula

A very long stick insect reaching over 200 mm, with an extremely thin body that closely mimics dead ...

150-230 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Anangu Leaf Insect

Pulchriphyllium anangu

A leaf insect from southwestern India, one of the few Phylliidae known from the Indian subcontinent....

6-8 cm
Lonchodidae

Andropromachus Stick Insect

Andropromachus scutatus

A winged stick insect from Yunnan Province in China with a shield-like thoracic plate. Males are cap...

5-8 cm
Diapheromeridae

Arizonan Walking Stick

Diapheromera arizonensis

A walkingstick found in the mountains and canyons of Arizona. It is typically brown or tan to blend ...

6-9 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Austrocarausius Stick Insect

Austrocarausius mercurius

A small, cryptic stick insect found in remnant rainforest patches of Queensland. It is part of a gen...

4-6 cm
Timematidae Data Deficient

Bartman's Timema

Timema bartmani

A small, green timema from the mountains of southern California. It was described relatively recentl...

1.5-2 cm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Bhaskara's Leaf Insect

Pulchriphyllium bhaskarai

A leaf insect endemic to Java, Indonesia, recently separated from closely related species. It has di...

6-8 cm
Diapheromeridae

Blatchley's Walkingstick

Manomera blatchleyi

A slender, brown walkingstick found in the southeastern United States. It is named after the America...

5-7 cm
Achriopteridae Vulnerable

Blue Stick Insect

Achrioptera manga

A spectacular stick insect where males are electric blue with bright orange wings. Females are much ...

120-240mm
Phasmatidae

Brunner Stick Insect

Bruneria borealis

A small thin brown stick insect and one of the few phasmids native to cold temperate North America. ...

40-60mm
Phasmatidae Data Deficient

Bud-wing Stick Insect

Phaenopharos khaoyaiensis

A medium-sized brown stick insect with tiny bud-like wings. It has knobby projections on its body mi...

60-90mm
Timematidae

California Timema

Timema californicum

A small green walking stick endemic to California. It is one of the most widespread Timema species o...

1.5-2.5 cm
Pseudophasmatidae Data Deficient

Cambridge's Striped Stick Insect

Pseudophasma cambridgei

A Brazilian stick insect only recently redescribed with its female and egg first identified. It has ...

5-8 cm
Heteropterygidae

Carmelae's Thorny Stick Insect

Trachyaretaon carmelae

A robust, thorny stick insect from the Philippines reaching up to 13.5 cm. It has rough, bark-like t...

9-13.5 cm
Diapheromeridae

Carolina Walkingstick

Diapheromera carolina

A walkingstick found in the southeastern United States, closely related to the northern walkingstick...

6-9 cm
Phylliidae

Celebes Leaf Insect

Phyllium celebicum

A leaf insect from Sulawesi with remarkably detailed leaf venation on its wings and body. Color rang...

65-85 mm
Phasmatidae Data Deficient

Chans Megastick

Phobaeticus chani

The longest insect in the world at 567 mm (with legs extended). Discovered in Borneo in 1989. Only s...

357 mm body (567 mm with legs)
Phasmatidae

Children's Stick Insect

Tropidoderus childrenii

A large Australian leaf insect with broad flattened body and legs. Females are vivid green and resem...

100-150mm
Phasmatidae

Chinese Stick Insect

Ramulus irregulariterdentatus

A long, slender stick insect with subtle irregular teeth along the edges of its body. It inhabits su...

10-14 cm
Diapheromeridae

Colorado Walking Stick

Parabacillus coloradus

A small, slender walkingstick found in arid regions of the western United States. It is well adapted...

4-7 cm
Achriopteridae Data Deficient

Colorful Stick Insect

Achrioptera maroloko

A newly described giant stick insect with brilliantly colored males showing iridescent blue bodies a...

170-230 mm
Diapheromeridae

Common American Walking Stick

Diapheromera femorata

The most common stick insect in North America, with a slender brown or green body. During outbreak y...

75-100 mm
Pseudophasmatidae Data Deficient

Conle's Stick Insect

Conlephasma enigma

A rare and enigmatic stick insect from the Philippines, unusual for a typically neotropical family. ...

4-6 cm
Diapheromeridae

Creosote Bush Walkingstick

Diapheromera covilleae

A desert-adapted walkingstick that feeds on creosote bush in the American Southwest. It matches the ...

5-8 cm
Pseudophasmatidae

Creoxylus Stick Insect

Creoxylus spinosus

A spiny neotropical stick insect with bright warning coloration. It has short, colorful wings used f...

5-8 cm
Timematidae

Cristina's Timema

Timema cristinae

A small, stout walking stick from California that comes in green, striped, and melanistic forms. It ...

2-2.5 cm
Phasmatidae Data Deficient

Crowned Stick Insect

Onchestus rentzi

An Australian stick insect with distinctive crown-like structures on its head. It inhabits rainfores...

80-120 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Delisle's Leaf Insect

Pulchriphyllium delislei

A leaf insect from Borneo described in recent taxonomic revisions. Females display rich green colora...

7-9 cm
Phasmatidae

Dobson's Stick Insect

Clitarchus hookeri

New Zealand's most common stick insect, found in gardens and native bush throughout the country. It ...

80-100mm
Timematidae

Douglas-fir Timema

Timema douglasi

A parthenogenetic timema that feeds on old-growth Douglas fir. All-female populations can occasional...

1.5-2 cm
Heteropterygidae

Dwarf Thorny Stick Insect

Haaniella parva

The smallest member of the genus Haaniella, with males reaching only about 3 cm. Despite its small s...

2.5-4 cm
Phasmatidae

East African Stick Insect

Clonaria conformans

A slender, elongated stick insect with smooth green or brown body perfectly mimicking a thin twig. I...

60-100 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Ericoriai Leaf Insect

Phyllium ericoriai

A Philippine leaf insect described relatively recently from Mindanao. It has notably wide abdominal ...

5-7 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Fenshuiling Stick Insect

Neohirasea fenshuilingensis

A recently described stick insect from the Fenshuiling Nature Reserve in China. It has dark brown co...

5-7 cm
Phasmatidae Data Deficient

Giant Bornean Walking Stick

Tirachoidea jianfenglingensis

A very large, robust stick insect with a heavily textured green or brown body covered in small tuber...

150-230 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Giant Leaf Insect

Phyllium giganteum

One of the largest leaf insects in the world, with a spectacularly flattened body that perfectly mim...

95-110 mm
Phasmatidae

Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Extatosoma tiaratum

Large Australian stick insect with lobed legs resembling leaves. Females drop eggs that mimic seeds ...

100-150 mm (females)
Heteropterygidae

Giant Spiny Stick Insect

Haaniella dehaanii

A massive dark brown stick insect with prominent spines and a thick cylindrical body. Females are ex...

100-140mm
Phasmatidae Data Deficient

Giant Stick Insect

Phobaeticus kirbyi

A very large stick insect from Borneo with extremely elongated legs. Males are slender and capable o...

25-33 cm
Phasmatidae

Giant Walkingstick

Megaphasma denticrus

The longest insect native to North America at up to 180 mm. Completely wingless and nocturnal. Named...

75-180 mm
Phasmatidae

Goliath Stick Insect

Eurycnema goliath

Australias largest stick insect at up to 250 mm. Females are vivid green with small red wings they f...

200-250 mm (females)
Heteropterygidae

Gray's Thorny Stick Insect

Haaniella grayii

A large thorny stick insect named after the zoologist John Edward Gray. It inhabits the dense rainfo...

8-12 cm
Phasmatidae

Green Bean Stick Insect

Diapherodes gigantea

A large, thick-bodied bright green stick insect from the Caribbean. Females are heavy and wingless w...

120-175 mm
Phasmatidae

Hainan Stick Insect

Ramulus hainanense

A slender green stick insect found on Hainan Island in southern China. It feeds on tropical broadlea...

8-11 cm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Hausleitner's Leaf Insect

Cryptophyllium limogesi

A recently described leaf insect from Vietnam placed in the new genus Cryptophyllium. It has a disti...

6-9 cm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Heracles Leaf Insect

Pulchriphyllium heracles

A recently described leaf insect from Vietnam named for the Greek hero Heracles. It is a large speci...

8-10 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Hujiayao's Stick Insect

Neohirasea hujiayaoi

A small stick insect from the subtropical forests of China. It is distinguished from related species...

4-6 cm
Lonchodidae

Indian Stick Insect

Carausius morosus

One of the most commonly kept stick insects in the world, originating from southern India. It reprod...

70-100 mm
Phylliidae

Indian Walking Leaf

Pulchriphyllium bioculatum

An extraordinary leaf-mimicking insect with a broad, flattened green body that closely resembles a l...

55-80 mm (females)
Phasmatidae

Italian Stick Insect

Bacillus atticus

A small Mediterranean stick insect found in southern Europe. It is notable for its complex reproduct...

5-8 cm
Phasmatidae

Japanese Stick Insect

Ramulus mikado

Known as 'nanafushi' in Japanese, meaning 'seven-jointed.' An elongated, twig-mimicking insect that ...

70-100 mm
Phylliidae

Javanese Leaf Insect

Phyllium bioculatum

A remarkable leaf mimic with a broad, flat green body, complete with realistic leaf veins, midrib, a...

60-90 mm
Heteropterygidae

Jungle Nymph

Heteropteryx dilatata

One of the heaviest stick insects, with females weighing up to 65 grams. Females are bright green wi...

130-160 mm (females)
Phasmatidae

Kenyan Stick Insect

Bactrododema tiaratum

A large, robust stick insect with a spiny, bark-like body and short wings. Males are much smaller an...

100-170 mm (females); 70-100 mm (males)
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Letiranti's Leaf Insect

Phyllium letiranti

A leaf insect found in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It has subtly serrated leaf margins on its a...

6-8 cm
Phasmatidae

Lichen-mimicking Stick Insect

Pseudodiacantha macklottii

A large stick insect with a rough textured body covered in small outgrowths that mimic lichen. Its g...

120-160mm
Lonchodidae

Lopaphus Stick Insect

Lopaphus sphalerus

A medium-sized stick insect from Southeast Asia with small wings. It has a smooth body and relativel...

6-8 cm
Phasmatidae Critically Endangered

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

Dryococelus australis

Once thought extinct after rats were introduced in 1918, a tiny population was rediscovered in 2001 ...

120-150 mm
Phasmatidae

Macleay's Spectre

Extatosoma popa

A large, leaf-mimicking phasmid closely related to the giant prickly stick insect. Its body is cover...

10-14 cm
Pseudophasmatidae

Malacomorpha Walkingstick

Malacomorpha cylindrica

A cylindrical, smooth-bodied walkingstick from the Caribbean and Central America. It has a distincti...

4-7 cm
Achriopteridae

Malagasy Praying Stick Insect

Achrioptera punctipes

A large stick insect with spotted legs and a green to brown body covered in small spiny tubercles. F...

150-200 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Malagasy Spiny Leaf Insect

Phyllium malagassum

A remarkable leaf insect with a broad, flat green body that exactly mimics a living leaf, complete w...

60-80 mm
Achriopteridae Data Deficient

Malagasy Walking Stick

Achrioptera impennis

A large, wingless stick insect with a robust green body covered in small tubercles and spiny project...

140-210 mm
Phasmatidae Not Evaluated

Malayan Stick Insect

Phobaeticus serratipes

An extremely long stick insect with serrated legs that was once the longest known insect. Females ca...

Body 270-330 mm, total with legs up to 550 mm
Bacillidae

Mediterranean Stick Insect

Bacillus rossius

A slender brown or green stick insect common around the Mediterranean. It is one of the few stick in...

60-105mm
Pseudophasmatidae

Metriophasma Stick Insect

Metriophasma diocles

A medium-sized neotropical stick insect studied for its neural locomotion systems. It has been a mod...

5-8 cm
Pseudophasmatidae

Mexican Striped Walkingstick

Anisomorpha paromalus

A striped walkingstick native to Mexico, closely related to the North American Anisomorpha species. ...

4-7 cm
Diapheromeridae

Mexican Walkingstick

Pseudosermyle straminea

A straw-colored walkingstick found across Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is commonly ...

5-8 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Mindanao Broken Stick Insect

Baculofractum philippinicum

A stick insect from the Philippines with a distinctive bent or 'broken' appearance. It was the first...

5-7 cm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Mindoro Leaf Insect

Phyllium iyadaon

A leaf insect endemic to Mindoro Island in the Philippines. Its name comes from a local word meaning...

5-7 cm
Phylliidae

Montieth's Leaf Insect

Phyllium monteithi

A leaf insect from the tropical forests of Queensland, Australia. It is one of only a few Phylliidae...

5-8 cm
Diapheromeridae Data Deficient

Moss Mimic Stick Insect

Trychopeplus laciniatus

A stick insect covered in elaborate green lobed projections that make it look like a piece of moss-c...

60-80mm
Heteropterygidae Data Deficient

Mueller's Thorny Stick Insect

Haaniella muelleri

A robust Bornean thorny stick insect with strong sexual dimorphism. It is one of five recently revis...

7-11 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Nanling Stick Insect

Neohirasea nanlingensis

A stick insect recently described from the Nanling Mountains of Guangdong, China. It is closely rela...

5-7 cm
Lonchodidae

Neohirasea Stick Insect

Neohirasea maerens

A small to medium winged stick insect commonly found across Vietnam. It has dark coloring with contr...

5-8 cm
Phasmatidae Not Evaluated

New Caledonian Giant Stick Insect

Clitarchus hookeri caledonicus

A large stick insect found in New Caledonia that mimics twigs and branches. Females can reproduce pa...

80-120 mm
Phasmatidae

New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect

Eurycantha horrida

A robust, dark-colored stick insect densely covered in sharp tubercles and spines. It is nocturnal a...

100-140 mm
Pseudophasmatidae

Northern Two-striped Walkingstick

Anisomorpha ferruginea

A tan to brown walkingstick found in the south-central United States. It is sometimes called the 'mu...

4-6 cm
Diapheromeridae

Ocnophiloidea Walking Stick

Ocnophiloidea regularis

A small, robust walkingstick from Central and South America. It has a slightly roughened body surfac...

4-7 cm
Phasmatidae Endangered

Okinawa Rail Stick Insect

Phraortes illepidus

A slender stick insect endemic to the subtropical forests of Okinawa, Japan. It feeds on native broa...

8-12 cm
Phasmatidae

Oncotophasma Stick Insect

Oncotophasma martini

A medium-sized stick insect with distinctive tubercles along its thorax. It is found in montane fore...

7-10 cm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Ortiz's Leaf Insect

Phyllium ortizi

A recently described leaf insect from Mindanao in the southern Philippines. It is distinguished by t...

5-7 cm
Diapheromeridae

Parabacillus Walking Stick

Parabacillus hesperus

A western North American walkingstick found in California's chaparral regions. It is a small species...

4-6 cm
Lonchodidae

Parasipyloidea Stick Insect

Parasipyloidea sipylus

A slender winged stick insect closely related to Sipyloidea. It has translucent wings with faintly p...

6-9 cm
Pseudophasmatidae Data Deficient

Peruphasma Stick Insect

Peruphasma marmoratum

A marbled-looking stick insect from the high montane forests of the Venezuelan Andes. Its mottled co...

5-7 cm
Diapheromeridae

Peruvian Fern Stick Insect

Oreophoetes peruana

A striking stick insect with a black body and contrasting red or orange wings. Males are more bright...

45-65 mm
Lonchodidae

Pink-Winged Flying Stick Insect

Marmessoidea rosea

A slender winged stick insect with vivid pink hindwings used in flight. Males are strong fliers whil...

7-10 cm
Diapheromeridae

Pink-Winged Stick Insect

Sipyloidea sipylus

A slender stick insect with small pink hindwings that are flashed when threatened. It reproduces rea...

80-110 mm
Diapheromeridae

Prairie Walkingstick

Diapheromera velii

A grassland-dwelling walkingstick found in the central United States. Unlike forest species, it live...

5-8 cm
Lonchodidae Data Deficient

Pseudoparamenexenus Stick Insect

Pseudoparamenexenus guangxiensis

A small stick insect from Guangxi Province in China. It belongs to a genus whose phylogenetic relati...

4-6 cm
Achriopteridae Near Threatened

Raphael s Stick Insect

Achrioptera fallax

A large stick insect from Madagascar where males have brilliant blue and orange coloring with small ...

130-200mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Red Leaf Insect

Phyllium rubrum

A stunning leaf insect that can display deep red, orange, or pink coloring. It is found in Borneo an...

5-7 cm
Phasmatidae

Rentz's Stick Insect

Ctenomorpha marginipennis

An extremely long Australian stick insect that can reach over 20cm in body length. It is bright gree...

150-200mm
Aschiphasmatidae

Sabah Stick Insect

Aschiphasma annulipes

A unique stick insect that mimics a centipede rather than a twig. Its body is segmented and flattene...

50-70mm
Heteropterygidae

Sabah Thorny Stick Insect

Haaniella echinata

A stocky Bornean phasmid densely covered in sharp spines. Its dark coloration and spiny texture make...

70-100 mm
Phylliidae Data Deficient

Samar Leaf Insect

Phyllium samarense

A leaf insect found on Samar Island in the eastern Philippines. It was described as part of ongoing ...

5-7 cm
Diapheromeridae

Sermyle Walkingstick

Sermyle mexicana

A medium-sized walkingstick native to Mexico and Central America. It is found in tropical dry forest...

6-9 cm
Phasmatidae

Short-winged Green Stick Insect

Acanthoxyla inermis

A smooth bright green stick insect native to New Zealand. All known individuals are female. It has t...

80-110mm