Common names

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the local common names for Anisomorpha species relate to the ability of these stick insects to emit a defensive spray. Among these are:- devil’s riding horse, prairie alligator, witch’s horse, devil’s darning needle, scorpion, and musk mare.

The name explained

The description of Anisomorpha is derived from the Greek ‘anisos’ meaning ‘unequal’ and ‘morphé’ meaning ‘shape’. This significant morphological difference is clearly explained by Gray as being between the feet of males and females, and does not refer to their two-tone colouration as proposed by some previous authors.

As is the case with many stick insects, members of the group tend to be referred to exclusively by their scientific names. There are four recognised species in this genus. Anisomorpha buprestoides and A. ferruginea are both found in the southern United States. A. buprestoides occurs in Florida and south-east Georgia while A. ferruginea ranges from Texas to Florida and northwards to Illinois and Virginia. A. paromalus is present from Mexico to Belize (often being referred to under the synonym of A. monstrosa) and A. clara was first described in 2006 from the Dominican Republic. It is likely that further species of the genus will be described as we gain more knowledge of the faunas of Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands.