Phryganistria is a genus of stick insects belonging to the subfamily Clitumninae, native to northeastern South Asia, northern Mainland Southeast Asia, and southern China.[1] The species in this genus range in size from fairly large to very large.[2]

Phryganistria
Phryganistria tamdaoensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Family: Phasmatidae
Tribe: Pharnaciini
Genus: Phryganistria
Stål, 1875
Type species
Phryganistria sarmentosa Westwood, 1848

The world's longest stick insect (which also makes it the longest known insects) is a currently undescribed species from Guangxi, China, informally referred to as Phryganistria "chinensis". A wild collected female kept at the Insect Museum of West China was the record holder at 62.4 centimetres (24.6 in) in total length (including extended legs),[3] but it was surpassed by one of its captive bred young that reached 64 centimetres (25 in).[4][5] The second-largest member of the genus likely is Phryganistria heusii yentuensis, with a total length of up to 52 centimetres (20 in) and a body length up to 32 centimetres (13 in).[2][6] Another, Phryganistria tamdaoensis was selected in 2015 by the International Institute for Species Exploration as one of the "Top 10 New Species" for new species discovered in 2014.[7]

Species

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The genus includes the following:[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Phasmida Species File (Version 5.0/5.0) Phryganistria". PSF. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b Bresseel, Joachim; Constant, Jérôme (2014). "Giant sticks from Vietnam and China, with three new taxa including the second longest insect known to date (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Pharnaciini)". European Journal of Taxonomy. 104: 1–38. doi:10.5852/ejt.2014.104.
  3. ^ Kate Baggaley (6 May 2016). "World's Longest Insect Is Two Feet Long".
  4. ^ "China breeds world's largest insect". www.xinhuanet.com. 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  5. ^ "Bugs beyond belief! Shining the spotlight on celebrity creepy-crawlies". Guinness World Records. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  6. ^ Verbeke, Reinout (27 November 2014). "New Species of Stick Insect is Second Largest Insect in the World". naturalsciences.be. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  7. ^ "The ESF Top 10 New Species for 2015". State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
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