Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 23, 2026

Asteliaphasma

Asteliaphasma is a genus of stick insects belonging to the family Phasmatidae. The genus is endemic to New Zealand and the species were first described by Salmon in 1991 and later moved to the genus Asteliaphasma. Members of this genus are found in the forests of the North Island, where they have been collected at elevations up to 900 meters above sea level. Asteliaphasma are nocturnal, apterous (wingless), arboreal stick insects that feeds on Astelia and rātā species.

Last revised
Jun 23, 2026
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Asteliaphasma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Family: Phasmatidae
Tribe: Pachymorphini
Genus: Asteliaphasma
Jewell & Brock, 2003
Asteliaphasma distribution

Asteliaphasma is a genus of stick insects (order Phasmatodea) belonging to the family Phasmatidae.1 The genus is endemic to New Zealand and the species were first described by Salmon in 19912 and later moved to the genus Asteliaphasma.34 Members of this genus are found in the forests of the North Island, where they have been collected at elevations up to 900 meters above sea level.56 Asteliaphasma are nocturnal, apterous (wingless), arboreal stick insects that feeds on Astelia and rātā species.768

Species:9

  • Asteliaphasma jucundus (Salmon, 1991)
  • Asteliaphasma naomi (Salmon, 1991)

As of 2014, both species are considered not threatened by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).4

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The genus is named from the plant genus Astelia (family Liliaceae), combined with the suffix "phasma" meaning "phantom" or "insect" (reference to stick insects).6 The species is so far only known from Astelia species and the Astelia-like Freycinetia banksii (Pandanaceae) and climbing rātā.68

One species, Asteliaphasma naomi, for a long time was known from a single specimen, but has now been collected a number of times.1011

Early classifications suggested that Asteliaphasma was a sister group to Spinotectarchus; however, recent molecular data indicate that they are not sister taxa.106 Instead, phylogenetic analysis indicates that A. jucundus is more closely related to Niveaphasma and Micrarchus species.10712

Morphology

Asteliaphasma are small, slender and completely wingless stick insects.6 Until 2005 only female A. jocunda had been recorded8 so reproduction of some populations might be parthenogenetic, a pattern consistent with that observed in other New Zealand stick insects.67 Adult female A. jucundus range from 64 to 88 mm in body length and males are thinner and shorter (5mm).68

Female Asteliaphasma jucundum source ↗

The following key features are used to identify this genus:6

  • Entire body lightly granulated, sometimes with small tubercles
  • A pair of short spines between the eyes
  • Antennae slightly shorter than the fore femora (the femur of the foreleg)
  • Small lateral lobes may be present on the fifth abdominal segment
  • Operculum boat-shaped, reaching the tip of the anal segment

Asteliaphasma eggs are elongated, cylindrical, finely pitted and lightly rugose with minute spine-like setae restricted to the anterior and dorsal regions.6

References

References

  1. "Asteliaphasma Jewell & Brock, 2003". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. Salmon, John (1991). The stick insects of New Zealand. New Zealand: Reed Books. ISBN 978-0-7900-0211-8.
  3. Jewell, Tony; Brock, Paul D. (2002). "A Review of the New Zealand Stick Insects: New Genera and Synonymy, Keys, and a Catalogue". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 11 (2): 189–197. ISSN 1082-6467.
  4. Buckley, T. R.; Hitchmough, R.; Rolfe, J.; Stringer, I. (2016). Conservation status of New Zealand stick insects, 2014. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 15. Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. 3 pp.
  5. Dennis, Alice B.; Dunning, Luke T.; Sinclair, Brent J.; Buckley, Thomas R. (2015). "Parallel molecular routes to cold adaptation in eight genera of New Zealand stick insects". Scientific Reports. 5 (1). doi:10.1038/srep13965. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4564816. PMID 26355841.
  6. Jewell, Tony; Brock, Paul D. (2002). "A review of the New Zealand stick insects: new genera and synonymy, keys, and a catalogue". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 11 (2): 189–197. doi:10.1665/1082-6467(2002)011[0189:AROTNZ]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1082-6467.
  7. Buckley, Thomas R.; Attanayake, Dilini; Nylander, Johan A. A.; Bradler, Sven (2010). "The phylogenetic placement and biogeographical origins of the New Zealand stick insects (Phasmatodea)". Systematic Entomology. 35 (2): 207–225. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2009.00505.x.
  8. Trewick, S; Morgan-Richards, M (2005). New Zealand Wild: Stick Insects. Hong Kong: Reed Publishing. ISBN 1 86948 570 X.
  9. "IRMNG - Asteliaphasma Jewell & Brock, 2002". www.irmng.org. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  10. Trewick, Steve A.; Morgan-Richards, Mary; Collins, Lesley J. (2008). "Are you my mother? Phylogenetic analysis reveals orphan hybrid stick insect genus is part of a monophyletic New Zealand clade". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 48 (3): 799–808. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.025.
  11. Yeates, Gregor W.; Buckley, Thomas R. (2009). "First records of mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitising stick insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 36 (1): 35–39. doi:10.1080/03014220909510137. ISSN 0301-4223.
  12. Forni, Giobbe; Plazzi, Federico; Cussigh, Alex; Conle, Oskar; Hennemann, Frank; Luchetti, Andrea; Mantovani, Barbara (2021-02-01). "Phylomitogenomics provides new perspectives on the Euphasmatodea radiation (Insecta: Phasmatodea)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 155 106983. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106983. hdl:11585/817784. ISSN 1055-7903.