Order
Phasmida (the stick or leaf insects) are believed to have appeared in the Lower
Triassic and is one of the most
interesting Orders in Class
Insecta. They are a poignant example of the innovation of natural selection
in creating stealth for survival. They typically are either stick-like or leaf-like
in appearance, a camouflage or mimicry that is their common characteristic; many
will also play possum for hours. "Phasmid" is derived from the Latin
term for phantom (phasma), and finding them in the wild can be very difficult
for even an experienced collector. You might correctly guess then, that fossil
Phasmida are exceedingly rare -- hence the paucity of specimens in this fossil
gallery. They do not have their hindlegs adapted for jumping as in the closely
related order Orthoptera
(grasshoppers, katydids, crickets and relatives). Unlike many insects, they make
superb pets. A phasmid will usually live from one to two years, depending on the
species. Sexual dimorphism is usually extreme with diminuative males. Some species
are completely or partially parthenogenetic. They extend their evolutionary stealth
to their eggs that are large and often closely resemble plant seeds This allows
the females to lay viable eggs without a mate; indeed there are some species in
which males are unknown to exist. Some 2500 species of Phasmids are extant.
Phasmida
Fossils |
| | |
Phasmida
in Fossil Amber Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia | Phasmida
Insect Fossil Propygolampis from Solnhofen
Limestome | Phasmida
in Fossil Amber Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia |