Species Diapheromera carolina - Carolina Walkingstick

Diapheromera carolina Scudder, 1901

Described from a male specimen from North Carolina, and a second specimen was reported by Blatchley (in 1920) from Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. As of 2011, one additional male specimen from northern Georgia appears to have been posted here on BugGuide. Females were only recently described in the literature.

Males are shiny brown with a dark median stripe along the top of the thorax that is narrow on the pronotum, wider behind, interrupted or weak toward rear of mesonotum, and not reaching (or weaker) toward rear of metanotum. There is a curved black stripe on the sides of the seventh and the eighth abdominal segments (the small segments just before the last - ninth segement). Legs are greenish to pale brownish and nearly plain in color except for black spine near tip below middle and hind femora (middle femur may be faintly banded darker on inner side). Females apparently are more plain, usually with indications of the same stripe above (???).

Probably upland regions associated with the southern Appalachians. Should be looked for in adjacent portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Apparently a rare species, but perhaps just not often noticed because it is similar to other species.

Tilgner, Erich H. & Joseph V. McHugh, 1997. 'Diapheromera carolina' Scudder (PHasmatodea: Heteronemiidae), First Description of Female Form and New Range Records'; Transactions, American Entomological Society 123(3): 191-196. Viewable at a pay per view sight only.

North Carolina State University, Insect Museum, Insect of the Week number 52 for December 31, 2010 - here