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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Walkingsticks (Phasmida) » Common Walkingsticks (Heteronemiidae) » Short-horn Walkingsticks (Parabacillus) » Colorado Short-horn walkingstick (Parabacillus coloradus)
Photo#122054
Colorado Walking Stick - Parabacillus coloradus - female
Copyright © 2007 Rachel Drummond

Colorado Walking Stick - Parabacillus coloradus - Female
Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado, USA
June 24, 2007
Size: approx 2 in (5 cm)
I don't know the species, I haven't seen quite the same markings on any other walking stick images. It does have short horns and was found on the outer wall of a bathroom at Trinidad Lake State Park.

Images of this individual: tag all
Colorado Walking Stick - Parabacillus coloradus - female Colorado Walking Stick - Parabacillus coloradus - female Colorado Walking Stick - Parabacillus coloradus - female
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Contributed by Rachel Drummond on 27 June, 2007 - 1:43am
Last updated 20 June, 2011 - 11:52pm

Moved
Moved from Parabacillus.
… David J. Ferguson, 20 June, 2011 - 11:52pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Common Walkingsticks.
… Jim McClarin, 29 June, 2007 - 2:47am login or register to post comments

Coloration
I hope the added images will give some more context as to the true coloration. My camera is sometimes too smart in the preprocessing department. I also included a head close-up.

The gray represented in the second and third photos are more true-to-life than the brownish cast while in my hand.
… Rachel Drummond, 28 June, 2007 - 11:44pm login or register to post comments

The shorthorns are in the genus
Parabacillus, but we only have two images in the guide here. Maybe Eric will know the species.
… john and jane balaban, 27 June, 2007 - 8:52am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the cross reference
Yeah, it didn't quite look like either of those, the coloration was much more mottled and rough looking. I haven't found anything like the pattern in my searches so far.

An odd or naive question maybe, but, out of curiosity, what are the evolutionary pros and cons for the different antennae length? Is that just a catagorizing feature?
… Rachel Drummond, 29 June, 2007 - 1:56am login or register to post comments

 
No.
I think Colorado has 'both' species in the genus, so I can't conclude which one this is. Looks too dark for P. hesperus, though. Also, this is certainly a gravid female. Neat find!
… Eric R. Eaton, 27 June, 2007 - 2:45pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
I was thrilled to find it, as was my youngest son. Previously, I'd only found teeny-weeny walking sticks. I think the hardest part was convincing my son that we couldn't bring it home. (That discussion was repeated with the ground beetle, the cicada, the grasshoppers, the moths, the forest ants, stink bugs, etc.)

When we did release it onto the local conifers, its dark coloration blended perfectly with the bark. I think I have a picture comparing the two...
… Rachel Drummond, 28 June, 2007 - 11:28pm login or register to post comments

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