Gallery Category: Phasmatodea

Jungle Nymph

Illustration of a vibrant green insect with small transparent wings

Heteropteryx dilatata Distribution: Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Sarawak, Thailand Size: 150mm (female), 100mm (male) Diet: Tropical plant leaves This illustration shows a female, who is much larger, and much more limey green*, than their male counterparts. The males are thinner, brown, but have much larger wings that enable them to fly. You’ll notice this stick insect […]

Leaf insect

Illustration of a green leaf insect, so called because its body really looks like a fresh leaf

Phyllium celebicum Distribution: Malaysia & Indonesia Size: 80 – 100mm Diet: Various leaves Like stick insects, leaf insects belong to the order phasmida, which means apparition or phantom in ancient Greek. This refers to the fact that these bugs expertly resemble vegetation far more than animals. Leaf insect mimicry is so sophisticated that many individuals will […]

Javanese Lichen Stick Insect

Illustration of a well camouflaged brown stick insect with orange wings

Pseudodiacantha macklotti Distribution: Java Size: 70mm body (female), 50mm body (male) Diet: Hazel and Rhododendron leaves P.Macklotti’s common name derives from the fact that it will sometimes cover itself with moss and lichen to aid its already impressive camouflage efforts. Like many stick insects, its wings are not big enough to allow flight but can […]

Yellow Umbrella Stick Insect

Illustration of a stick insect with large yellow wings

Eurynecroscia nigrofasciata Distribution: Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia Size: 30mm body with 60mm wingspan Diet: 160mm (female), 100mm (male) The females of this species (as illustrated here) have a chunky yellow and green body, while the smaller males are darker green and brown and much thinner. The common name come from the female’s wings, which […]

Metallic Stick Insect

Illustration od a bright blue stick insect with small red wings

Achrioptera manga Distribution: Madagascar Size: 240mm Diet: Salal, bramble, eucalyptus, oak, & raspberry leaves I kept some of these as pets with the hope they’d reach maturity, which is when the males suddenly adopt this incredible blue colour. When younger, Achrioptera manga are actually brilliant stick impersonators – combining an extremely long brown twig-like body […]