Stick Insects
Order Phasmatodea
Masters of camouflage that resemble twigs, leaves, or bark. Some species can reproduce parthenogenetically and many can regenerate lost limbs.
Species in this Order (130)
Anangu Leaf Insect
Pulchriphyllium anangu
A leaf insect from southwestern India, one of the few Phylliidae known from the Indian subcontinent....
Andropromachus Stick Insect
Andropromachus scutatus
A winged stick insect from Yunnan Province in China with a shield-like thoracic plate. Males are cap...
Arizonan Walking Stick
Diapheromera arizonensis
A walkingstick found in the mountains and canyons of Arizona. It is typically brown or tan to blend ...
Austrocarausius Stick Insect
Austrocarausius mercurius
A small, cryptic stick insect found in remnant rainforest patches of Queensland. It is part of a gen...
Bartman's Timema
Timema bartmani
A small, green timema from the mountains of southern California. It was described relatively recentl...
Bhaskara's Leaf Insect
Pulchriphyllium bhaskarai
A leaf insect endemic to Java, Indonesia, recently separated from closely related species. It has di...
Blatchley's Walkingstick
Manomera blatchleyi
A slender, brown walkingstick found in the southeastern United States. It is named after the America...
Blue Stick Insect
Achrioptera manga
A spectacular stick insect where males are electric blue with bright orange wings. Females are much ...
Brunner Stick Insect
Bruneria borealis
A small thin brown stick insect and one of the few phasmids native to cold temperate North America. ...
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...
California Timema
Timema californicum
A small green walking stick endemic to California. It is one of the most widespread Timema species o...
Cambridge's Striped Stick Insect
Pseudophasma cambridgei
A Brazilian stick insect only recently redescribed with its female and egg first identified. It has ...
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...
Carolina Walkingstick
Diapheromera carolina
A walkingstick found in the southeastern United States, closely related to the northern walkingstick...
Celebes Leaf Insect
Cryptophyllium celebicum
A leaf insect from Sulawesi with a highly flattened, leaf-shaped body. It was recently reclassified ...
Celebes Leaf Insect
Phyllium celebicum
A leaf insect from Sulawesi with remarkably detailed leaf venation on its wings and body. Color rang...
Chans Megastick
Phobaeticus chani
The longest insect in the world at 567 mm (with legs extended). Discovered in Borneo in 1989. Only s...
Children's Stick Insect
Tropidoderus childrenii
A large Australian leaf insect with broad flattened body and legs. Females are vivid green and resem...
Chinese Stick Insect
Ramulus irregulariterdentatus
A long, slender stick insect with subtle irregular teeth along the edges of its body. It inhabits su...
Colorado Walking Stick
Parabacillus coloradus
A small, slender walkingstick found in arid regions of the western United States. It is well adapted...
Common American Walking Stick
Diapheromera femorata
The most common stick insect in North America, with a slender brown or green body. During outbreak y...
Conle's Stick Insect
Conlephasma enigma
A rare and enigmatic stick insect from the Philippines, unusual for a typically neotropical family. ...
Creosote Bush Walkingstick
Diapheromera covilleae
A desert-adapted walkingstick that feeds on creosote bush in the American Southwest. It matches the ...
Creoxylus Stick Insect
Creoxylus spinosus
A spiny neotropical stick insect with bright warning coloration. It has short, colorful wings used f...
Cristina's Timema
Timema cristinae
A small, stout walking stick from California that comes in green, striped, and melanistic forms. It ...
Crowned Stick Insect
Onchestus rentzi
An Australian stick insect with distinctive crown-like structures on its head. It inhabits rainfores...
Delisle's Leaf Insect
Pulchriphyllium delislei
A leaf insect from Borneo described in recent taxonomic revisions. Females display rich green colora...
Dobson's Stick Insect
Clitarchus hookeri
New Zealand's most common stick insect, found in gardens and native bush throughout the country. It ...
Douglas-fir Timema
Timema douglasi
A parthenogenetic timema that feeds on old-growth Douglas fir. All-female populations can occasional...
Dwarf Thorny Stick Insect
Haaniella parva
The smallest member of the genus Haaniella, with males reaching only about 3 cm. Despite its small s...
Ericoriai Leaf Insect
Phyllium ericoriai
A Philippine leaf insect described relatively recently from Mindanao. It has notably wide abdominal ...
Fenshuiling Stick Insect
Neohirasea fenshuilingensis
A recently described stick insect from the Fenshuiling Nature Reserve in China. It has dark brown co...
Giant Bornean Walking Stick
Tirachoidea jianfenglingensis
A very large, robust stick insect with a heavily textured green or brown body covered in small tuber...
Giant Leaf Insect
Pulchriphyllium giganteum
The largest known leaf insect species, with females reaching over 10 cm in length. Its body is an al...
Giant Leaf Insect
Phyllium giganteum
One of the largest leaf insects in the world, with a spectacularly flattened body that perfectly mim...
Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Extatosoma tiaratum
Large Australian stick insect with lobed legs resembling leaves. Females drop eggs that mimic seeds ...
Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Acanthoxyla geisovii
A spiny New Zealand stick insect that reproduces exclusively without males....
Giant Spiny Stick Insect
Haaniella dehaanii
A massive dark brown stick insect with prominent spines and a thick cylindrical body. Females are ex...
Giant Stick Insect
Phobaeticus kirbyi
A very large stick insect from Borneo with extremely elongated legs. Males are slender and capable o...
Giant Walkingstick
Megaphasma denticrus
The longest insect native to North America at up to 180 mm. Completely wingless and nocturnal. Named...
Goliath Stick Insect
Eurycnema goliath
Australias largest stick insect at up to 250 mm. Females are vivid green with small red wings they f...
Gray's Thorny Stick Insect
Haaniella grayii
A large thorny stick insect named after the zoologist John Edward Gray. It inhabits the dense rainfo...
Green Bean Stick Insect
Diapherodes gigantea
A large, thick-bodied bright green stick insect from the Caribbean. Females are heavy and wingless w...
Green Bean Stick Insect
Myonchodes brachypterus
A short, stout green stick insect that resembles a fresh bean pod more than a stick. Its compact bod...
Hainan Stick Insect
Ramulus hainanense
A slender green stick insect found on Hainan Island in southern China. It feeds on tropical broadlea...
Hausleitner's Leaf Insect
Cryptophyllium limogesi
A recently described leaf insect from Vietnam placed in the new genus Cryptophyllium. It has a disti...
Heracles Leaf Insect
Pulchriphyllium heracles
A recently described leaf insect from Vietnam named for the Greek hero Heracles. It is a large speci...
Hujiayao's Stick Insect
Neohirasea hujiayaoi
A small stick insect from the subtropical forests of China. It is distinguished from related species...
Indian Stick Insect
Carausius morosus
One of the most commonly kept stick insects in the world, originating from southern India. It reprod...
Italian Stick Insect
Bacillus atticus
A small Mediterranean stick insect found in southern Europe. It is notable for its complex reproduct...
Javanese Leaf Insect
Phyllium jacobsoni
A leaf insect so perfectly shaped like a leaf that even its legs have leaf-like lobes....
Javanese Leaf Insect
Phyllium bioculatum
A remarkable leaf mimic with a broad, flat green body, complete with realistic leaf veins, midrib, a...
Jungle Nymph
Heteropteryx dilatata
One of the heaviest stick insects, with females weighing up to 65 grams. Females are bright green wi...
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...
Lichen-mimicking Stick Insect
Pseudodiacantha macklottii
A large stick insect with a rough textured body covered in small outgrowths that mimic lichen. Its g...
Lopaphus Stick Insect
Lopaphus sphalerus
A medium-sized stick insect from Southeast Asia with small wings. It has a smooth body and relativel...
Lord Howe Island Stick Insect
Dryococelus australis
Once thought extinct after rats were introduced in 1918, a tiny population was rediscovered in 2001 ...
Macleay's Spectre
Extatosoma popa
A large, leaf-mimicking phasmid closely related to the giant prickly stick insect. Its body is cover...
Malacomorpha Walkingstick
Malacomorpha cylindrica
A cylindrical, smooth-bodied walkingstick from the Caribbean and Central America. It has a distincti...
Malayan Stick Insect
Phobaeticus serratipes
An extremely long stick insect with serrated legs that was once the longest known insect. Females ca...
Mediterranean Stick Insect
Bacillus rossius
A slender brown or green stick insect common around the Mediterranean. It is one of the few stick in...
Metriophasma Stick Insect
Metriophasma diocles
A medium-sized neotropical stick insect studied for its neural locomotion systems. It has been a mod...
Mexican Striped Walkingstick
Anisomorpha paromalus
A striped walkingstick native to Mexico, closely related to the North American Anisomorpha species. ...
Mexican Walkingstick
Pseudosermyle straminea
A straw-colored walkingstick found across Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is commonly ...
Mindanao Broken Stick Insect
Baculofractum philippinicum
A stick insect from the Philippines with a distinctive bent or 'broken' appearance. It was the first...
Mindoro Leaf Insect
Phyllium iyadaon
A leaf insect endemic to Mindoro Island in the Philippines. Its name comes from a local word meaning...
Montieth's Leaf Insect
Phyllium monteithi
A leaf insect from the tropical forests of Queensland, Australia. It is one of only a few Phylliidae...
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...
Mueller's Thorny Stick Insect
Haaniella muelleri
A robust Bornean thorny stick insect with strong sexual dimorphism. It is one of five recently revis...
Nanling Stick Insect
Neohirasea nanlingensis
A stick insect recently described from the Nanling Mountains of Guangdong, China. It is closely rela...
Neohirasea Stick Insect
Neohirasea maerens
A small to medium winged stick insect commonly found across Vietnam. It has dark coloring with contr...
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...
New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect
Eurycantha horrida
A robust, dark-colored stick insect densely covered in sharp tubercles and spines. It is nocturnal a...
New Guinea Spiny Stick Insect
Eurycantha insularis
A large robust stick insect with a dark brown body and prominent spines on its legs. Males are espec...
Northern Two-striped Walkingstick
Anisomorpha ferruginea
A tan to brown walkingstick found in the south-central United States. It is sometimes called the 'mu...
Ocnophiloidea Walking Stick
Ocnophiloidea regularis
A small, robust walkingstick from Central and South America. It has a slightly roughened body surfac...
Okinawa Rail Stick Insect
Phraortes illepidus
A slender stick insect endemic to the subtropical forests of Okinawa, Japan. It feeds on native broa...
Oncotophasma Stick Insect
Oncotophasma martini
A medium-sized stick insect with distinctive tubercles along its thorax. It is found in montane fore...
Ortiz's Leaf Insect
Phyllium ortizi
A recently described leaf insect from Mindanao in the southern Philippines. It is distinguished by t...
Parabacillus Walking Stick
Parabacillus hesperus
A western North American walkingstick found in California's chaparral regions. It is a small species...
Parasipyloidea Stick Insect
Parasipyloidea sipylus
A slender winged stick insect closely related to Sipyloidea. It has translucent wings with faintly p...
Peruphasma Stick Insect
Peruphasma marmoratum
A marbled-looking stick insect from the high montane forests of the Venezuelan Andes. Its mottled co...
Peruvian Fern Stick Insect
Oreophoetes peruana
A striking stick insect with a black body and contrasting red or orange wings. Males are more bright...
Peruvian Fern Stick Insect
Oreophoetes topoense
A small stick insect with a dark body and bright yellow legs from the Peruvian Andes. It feeds exclu...
Pink-Winged Flying Stick Insect
Marmessoidea rosea
A slender winged stick insect with vivid pink hindwings used in flight. Males are strong fliers whil...
Pink-Winged Stick Insect
Sipyloidea sipylus
A slender stick insect with small pink hindwings that are flashed when threatened. It reproduces rea...
Prairie Walkingstick
Diapheromera velii
A grassland-dwelling walkingstick found in the central United States. Unlike forest species, it live...
Pseudoparamenexenus Stick Insect
Pseudoparamenexenus guangxiensis
A small stick insect from Guangxi Province in China. It belongs to a genus whose phylogenetic relati...
Raphael s Stick Insect
Achrioptera fallax
A large stick insect from Madagascar where males have brilliant blue and orange coloring with small ...
Red Leaf Insect
Phyllium rubrum
A stunning leaf insect that can display deep red, orange, or pink coloring. It is found in Borneo an...
Rentz's Stick Insect
Ctenomorpha marginipennis
An extremely long Australian stick insect that can reach over 20cm in body length. It is bright gree...
Sabah Stick Insect
Aschiphasma annulipes
A unique stick insect that mimics a centipede rather than a twig. Its body is segmented and flattene...
Sabah Thorny Stick Insect
Haaniella echinata
A stocky Bornean phasmid densely covered in sharp spines. Its dark coloration and spiny texture make...
Samar Leaf Insect
Phyllium samarense
A leaf insect found on Samar Island in the eastern Philippines. It was described as part of ongoing ...
Sermyle Walkingstick
Sermyle mexicana
A medium-sized walkingstick native to Mexico and Central America. It is found in tropical dry forest...
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...
Sipyloidea Tuberculata Stick Insect
Sipyloidea tuberculata
A winged stick insect from southern China with small tubercles along its thorax. It was recently des...
South American Walkingstick
Ocnophiloidea longipes
A long-legged tropical walkingstick from the forests of South America. Its elongated legs help it br...
Spanish Stick Insect
Leptynia hispanica
A small, slender European stick insect found across the Iberian Peninsula. It is one of the few phas...
Spiny Leaf Insect
Phyllium westwoodii
A large leaf insect with a bright green flat body edged with small teeth-like spines. The female bod...
Stratocles Walkingstick
Stratocles multilineatus
A multi-lined walkingstick from South America with several faint longitudinal stripes. It is found i...
Strong Stick Insect
Anchiale briareus
One of the longest insects in Australia, with a slender body that can exceed 270 mm. Females are sig...
Strong Stick Insect
Anchiale austrotessulata
A robust green and brown stick insect from tropical Queensland rainforest....
Sun Moth Stick Insect
Epidares nolimetangere
A chunky dark brown stick insect covered in dense spines and thorns from Borneo. Females are wingles...
Sunda Colugo Stick Insect
Asceles tanarata
A very slender, elongated stick insect found in the highlands of Southeast Asia. It is bright green ...
Sunny Stick Insect
Necroscia annulipes
A colorful winged stick insect with banded legs. Males are active fliers while females are larger wi...
Sunny Stick Insect
Sungaya inexpectata
A small, chunky stick insect covered in short spines and tubercles, native to the Philippines. It is...
Tahoe Timema
Timema tahoe
A small timema found near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It inhabits coniferous forests ...
Tessellated Stick Insect
Tessulata tessulata
A brown patterned stick insect covered in tessellated scale-like markings that resemble rough bark. ...
Tethered Walkingstick
Manomera tenuescens
A very thin, elongated walkingstick from the eastern United States. It is among the most slender of ...
Texan Walkingstick
Diapheromera texana
A walkingstick found in sandy habitats of western Texas and New Mexico. It is well adapted to arid, ...
Thorn-legged Stick Insect
Aretaon asperrimus
A heavily armored stick insect covered in sharp thorns and spines across its entire body. Its brown ...
Thorny Devil Stick Insect
Eurycantha calcarata
A massive, heavily armored stick insect from New Guinea with powerful spiny hind legs. Males have a ...
Titan Stick Insect
Acrophylla titan
One of the longest stick insects in Australia and among the longest insects in the world. Females ca...
Tobelo Leaf Insect
Phyllium tobeloense
A leaf insect named after the Tobelo region of Halmahera Island in Indonesia. It closely mimics the ...
Trachyaretaon Stick Insect
Phryganistria heusii
A very large stick insect discovered in Vietnam, with females exceeding 30 cm in body length. It has...
Two-Striped Walking Stick
Anisomorpha buprestoides
A stout stick insect with two bold stripes running down its body, common in the southeastern United ...
Unarmed Stick Insect
Clitarchus tepaki
A smooth-bodied stick insect endemic to the far north of New Zealand. It is slimmer than its relativ...
Velvet Stick Insect
Peruphasma schultei
A jet-black velvety stick insect with bright red vestigial wings found in one small area....
Versine Stick Insect
Eurycnema versirubra
A large, bright green Australian stick insect with red coloring at the base of its wings. It is freq...
Vietnamese Stick Insect
Medauroidea extradentata
A large, smooth-bodied stick insect commonly kept as a pet and used in school biology classes. It re...
Vietnamese Stick Insect
Ramulus artemis
A very long slender bright green stick insect from Vietnam. Its thin smooth body perfectly mimics a ...
Vietnamese Walking Stick
Baculum extradentatum
A long, thin stick insect with small teeth along its middle legs. It is one of the most commonly kep...
Walking Leaf
Phyllium siccifolium
A classic leaf insect with a broad flat green body perfectly shaped like a leaf with veined wing cov...
Walking Leaf
Phyllium philippinicum
Perhaps the most remarkable camouflage in the insect world — an entire insect that looks exactly lik...
Wangpeng's Stick Insect
Neohirasea wangpengi
A recently described stick insect from China named after the entomologist Wang Peng. It has a dark b...
Water Stick Insect
Ranatra linearis
Despite its common name, this is actually a true bug (Hemiptera) that resembles a stick insect and l...
Westwood's Leaf Insect
Cryptophyllium westwoodii
A large leaf insect named after the entomologist John Obadiah Westwood. Females are broad and bright...
Winged Stick Insect
Megacrania batesii
A large bright green stick insect with well-developed wings that can fly short distances. It feeds o...
Zhao Stick Insect
Phryganistria chinensis
The longest insect ever measured at 64 cm with legs extended. Discovered in 2014 in Guangxi, China. ...