Order Phasmatodea Jacobsen & Bianchi, 1902

Taxonomy

About 150 Australian species are known, compared to aproximately 2500 species world-wide.

Family Phylliidae

Leaf insects and tooth-bearing stick insects. About 55 Australian species are known. Only 2 of the 8 sub-families are represented.

Family Phasmatidae

Typical stick insects. About 95 Australian species are known. Only 8 of the 10 sub-families are represented.

Family Timematidae

Not represented in Australia. The timematidae are exclusively North American.

Identification Key

There is an identification key available for the Australian Phasmatodea.

This is a work-in-progress. Don't expect too much at this stage.

Indexes

If you want to go directly to a specific species, rather than wade through the taxonomy, there is a species list sorted by name.

There is also a taxonomy on a single page with the species sorted by name within family, sub family and genus.

Distribution

The distribution map is a hot-linked index. By clicking on a highlighted area of the map, you may obtain a species list for that area.

References

Balderson, J., Rentz, D.C.F. and Roach, A.M.E. (1998). in Houston, W.K.K. & Wells, A. (1998) (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 23. Archaeognatha, Zygentoma, Blattodea, Isoptera, Mantodea, Dermaptera, Phasmatodea, Embioptera, Zoraptera. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, Australia (ISBN 0643 06035 9). pp. 347 - 376.
Bradley, J.C., and Galil, B.S. (1977). The taxonomic arrangement of the Phasmatodea with keys to the subfamilies and tribes. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 79(2): 176-208.
Bruins, E. (1999). The Complete Encyclopedia of Terrarium. Grange Books.
Key, K.H.L. (1970). Phasmatodea (Stick-insects). pp. 394-404 in CSIRO (ed.) The Insects of Australia. A textbook for students and research workers. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, Vol. 1, 1st Edn.
Kirby, W.F. (1885). Elementary Textboox of Entomology.
Kirby, W.F. (1904). A Synonymic Catalogue of Orthoptera. 8vo. Vol. 1. Orthoptera, Euplexoptera, Cursoria, et Gressoria (Forficulidæ, Hemimeridæ, Blattidæ, Mantidæ, Phasmidæ). London: Longmans & Co. x 501 pp.
Latreille, P.A. (1817). Les Crustacés, Les Arachnides et Les Insectes, being volume three of Cuvier, G.L.C.F.D. (1817). Le Régne animal distribué d'après son Organisation, pour servir de Base à l'Histoire naturelle des Animaux et d'Introduction à l'Anatomie comparée. Five volumes. Paris.
Rainbow, W.J. (1897). Catalogue of the described Phasmidae of Australia. Records of the Australian Museum, 3(2), 37-44. [Note that he made a mistake re Extatosoma popa and E. tiaratum according to Gurney, A.B. (1947). Notes on some remarkable Australasian walkingsticks, including a synopsis of the Genus Extatosoma (Orthoptera: Phasmatidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 40(3): 373-396. .]
Rentz, D.C.F (1996). Grasshopper Country, Chapter 16, Phasmatodea: Leaf and Stick Insects, pp. 244-257
Tepper, J.G.O. (1903). Notes and remarks on the described genera and species of Australian and Polynesian Phasmidæ or ``spectre insects''. Victorian Naturalist, 19: 138-142.
Vickery, V.R. (1983). Catalogue of Australian stick insects (Phasmida, Phasmatodea, Phasmatoptera, or Cheleutoptera). CSIRO Australian Division of Entomology Technical Paper, No. 20, 15 pp.
Westwood, J.O. (1874). Thesaurus Entomologicus Oxoniensis: or illustrations of new, rare and interesting insects, for the most part coloured, in the collections presented to the University of Oxford by the Rev. F.W. Hope. London: McMillan & Co. i-xxiv, 205 pp., 40 pls
See also the ABRS Australian Faunal Directory for Phasmatodea. It's based on Balderson et al 1998, so it is a little out of date, and contains a few errors.

Synonyms

Cheleutoptera
Phasma Lichtenstein, 1802
Phasmatoptera
Phasmida Leach, 1815
Phasmidæ