The Phasmatodea are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick-bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's darning needles, although this name is shared by both dragonflies and crane flies. They can be generally referred to as phasmatodeans, phasmids, or ghost insects, with phasmids in the family Phylliidae called leaf insects, leaf-bugs, walking leaves, or bug leaves. The group's name is derived from the Ancient Greek φάσμα phasma, meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to their resemblance to vegetation while in fact being animals. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect; still, many species have one of several secondary lines of defense in the form of startle displays, spines or toxic secretions. Stick insects from the genera Phryganistria, Ctenomorpha, and Phobaeticus include the world's longest insects.
Extatosoma is a genus of phasmids, in the monotypic subfamily Extatosomatinae, with two species. One occurs in Australia, one in New Guinea. Both have a colour morph imitating leaves, and one imitating lichen.
The Phasmatidae are a family of the stick insects. They belong to the superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea.
Ctenomorpha marginipennis, the margin-winged stick insect, is a species of stick insect endemic to southern Australia. The species was first described by George Robert Gray in 1833.
Asceles is a genus of stick insects in the tribe Necrosciini. Some of the species of Asceles have a distribution in Malaysia and Singapore.
Pulchriphyllium giganteum, commonly known as the Giant Malaysian Leaf insect, is a species of leaf insects described from Malaysia by Hausleithner in 1984 and placed in the genus Pulchriphyllium since 2021. Pulchriphyllium giganteum is the largest species belonging to the genus Pulchriphyllium reaching 105 mm in size. They are found most abundantly in the west Malaysian tropics. The females typically have large elytra that lie edge to edge on the abdomen and tend to lack hind wings making them usually flightless. Males have small elytra and sometimes transparent non-leaflike functional hind wings. Pulchriphyllium giganteum found in the wild tend to be mostly females and the first male of this species was not found until 1994. In captivity, the species has primarily been observed to reproduce through parthenogenesis meaning the females are asexual. The primary reproductive pattern in the wild is unknown. Eggs tend to be brown or black and glossy and resemble seeds. They hatch around 6 months after breeding. Newly hatched young nymphs tend to be wingless and brown or reddish in color. They develop their green color after feeding on leaves. Both the adult and larval stages are phytophagous meaning they feed on plants. The main plant food sources for this species are oak and bramble tree leaves.
Timema ritense, the Santa Rita timema, is a species of walkingstick in the family Timematidae. It is found in North America. The species was originally spelled "ritensis", but this spelling did not match the gender of the genus Timema, and therefore has undergone a mandatory change following ICZN Article 31.2.
Diapheromerini is a tribe of walkingsticks in the family Diapheromeridae. There are at least 30 genera Diapheromerini.
Anisacanthidae is a family of stick insects in the superfamily Bacilloidea. There are at least 30 described species in Anisacanthidae, all from Madagascar.
Trachythorax is an Asian genus of stick insects in the family Lonchodidae and subfamily Necrosciinae. Species have been recorded from the Indian subcontinent, Indo-China, Malesia through to New Guinea.
Medauromorpha is an Asian genus of stick insects in the family Phasmatidae, subfamily Clitumninae and tribe Medaurini. Species have a known distribution from Vietnam and southern China.
Paramenexenus is a genus of Asian stick insects belonging to the family Lonchodidae, erected by Josef Redtenbacher in 1908.
Mearnsiana is a genus of stick insects, which is native to the Philippine islands Mindanao, Leyte and Dinagat.
Phasma reinwardtii is a large stick insect found in West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
Nesiophasma is a genus of very large stick insects within the order Phasmatodea and the tribe of Stephanacridini. This genus is found in Wallacea west of Weber’s Line: Sulawesi, Peleng Island, Selayar Island, Kalaotoa Island, Sanana Island, Romang Island, Timor Island, Sangihe Island and Talaud Islands. New Guinea with doubt. The largest in the list of species is Nesiophasma giganteum, with females reaching a body length of 30 cm.
Nesiophasma giganteum is a recently described species of stick insect, order Phasmatodea. It is endemic to Peleng. Adult females are large, typically measuring 250–300mm in body length. Both sexes are wingless.
Phaenopharos struthioneus, the small red winged stick insect, is a medium-sized stick insect found in Malaysia and Sumatra. This species is extinct in Singapore. Both males and females are known for their small red stubby wings, which are used solely for the purpose of displaying when threatened. Thus, they cannot fly.
Brockphasma is currently a monotypic genus of Asian stick insects in the tribe Necrosciini, erected by G.W.C. Ho, Liu, Bresseel & Constant in 2014. To date, one species has been recorded from Vietnam.
Neohirasea is a genus of stick insects in the tribe Necrosciini, erected by J.A.G. Rehn in 1904. Species has been recorded from temperate and tropical Asia, including: China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Phamartes is a genus of Asian stick insects in the tribe Necrosciini identified by J Bresseel and J Constant in 2013. As of 2022, species have only been recorded as originating from Vietnam. The genus was named after the Prof. Thai Hong Pham of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature.
