Bug FAQNorthern Two-striped Walkingstick
Anisomorpha ferruginea · Order: Phasmida · Family: Pseudophasmatidae
Also called: Dark Walkingstick, Prairie Alligator
The northern two-striped walkingstick is also called the dark walkingstick or prairie alligator. It lives in North America. When threatened it can spray a defensive mist.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the walkingstick's defensive spray contain?
The spray contains a terpene dialdehyde.
Source: Wikipedia
What are other names for this walkingstick?
It is also called the dark walkingstick or prairie alligator.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pseudophasmatidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisomorpha_ferruginea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.