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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Walkingsticks (Phasmida) » Diapheromeridae » Megaphasma » Giant Walkingstick (Megaphasma denticrus)

Species Megaphasma denticrus - Giant Walkingstick

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Giant walkingstick - Megaphasma denticrus - female Male Giant Walking Stick - Megaphasma denticrus - male - female Giant Walkingstick - Megaphasma denticrus - male Giant Walkingstick - Megaphasma denticrus - male Walking Stick Insect 3 - Megaphasma denticrus - male Walking Stick Insect 3 - Megaphasma denticrus - male Walking Stick Insect 4 - Megaphasma denticrus - female Megaphasma denticrus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Phasmida (Walkingsticks)
Family Diapheromeridae
Genus Megaphasma
Species denticrus (Giant Walkingstick)
Other Common Names
GWS
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Megaphasma denticrus (Stål)
Orig. Comb: Diapheromera denticrus Stål 1875
Syn: dentricus (spelling)
Numbers
1 sp. n. of Mex. (1)
Size
Longest North American insect, females to 180 mm (7 inches). Helfer (1962)(1) gives range of 76-150 mm.
Per study conducted by Maginnis et al. (2008), females ranged from 105-135 mm and males ranged from 90-125 mm.
Identification
Both sexes have a row of short femoral spines on the underside of their mid and hind legs, in addition males have a large, single spine on their mid and hind femora: . (Maginnis et al. 2008)
Pair , Female Male, male
Color is variable, greenish to reddish-brown, sometimes with white on legs.
Range
c. US (NM-AL-IN-WI) - Map (1)(2), mostly TX-IA-MS (3), sometimes locally common (1)
Habitat
found on grapevine, grass, and oak (1)
Season
Apr-Sept in TX (BG data)
Life Cycle
Females flick their eggs to the ground, and can lay up to three eggs per hour and thirteen per day for several months. (Maginnis et al. 2008)
Print References
Helfer (1962), p. 22, fig. 30 (1)
Maginnis, T.L., C.L. Cool and J.L. Muniz. 2008. Some observations on the mating behavior of the giant walkingstick, Megaphasma dentricus [sic] (Orthoptera: Phasmidae). Texas Journal of Science 60(1): 57-62. (Full Text)
Wilkins, O.P. & O.P. Breland. 1951. Notes on the giant walking stick, Megaphasma deticrus [sic] (Stål) (Orthoptera: Phasmatidae). Texas Journal of Science 3: 305-310.
Internet References
North America’s longest insect - Beetles in the Bush, Ted C. MacRae, 2009
Texas Walkingstick Info - Mike Quinn, 2012
Works Cited
1.How to Know the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Their Allies
Jacques R. Helfer. 1962. Wm. C. Brown Company.
2.Stick Insects of the Continental United States and Canada
Chad Arment. 2006. Coachwhip Publications.
3.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Contributed by Jim McClarin on 30 October, 2006 - 5:37pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, TCMacRae, Mike Quinn
Last updated 9 August, 2021 - 11:54am

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