Timema

Timema is a genus of short-bodied, somewhat thicker stick insects. They are native to the far western United States.

Compared to other stick insects (order Phasmatodea), the genus Timema is basal. It is the earliest living branch to diverge from the phylogenetic tree of the Phasmatodea. To emphasize this, all other stick insects  are sometimes described as "Euphasmatodea."

Five of the 21 species of Timema are parthenogenetic, including two species that have done sexual reproduction for a million years. This is the longest known asexual period for any insect.Davies, Ella. Sticks insects survive one million years without sex. BBC Nature News.  

Timema sticks are night-feeders: they spend daytime resting on the leaves or bark of the plants they feed on. They are camouflaged. Timema species have colours (green, gray, or brown) and patterns (stripes or dots) which match their background.Sandoval, Cristina P. & Crespi, Bernard J. 2008. Adaptive evolution of cryptic coloration: the shape of host plants and dorsal stripes in Timema walking-sticks. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 94: 1–5.  

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Category:Phasmids