Bug FAQSpur Legged Phasmid
Didymuria violescens · Order: Phasmida · Family: Phasmatidae
Also called: Violet-winged Phasmid, Spur-legged Stick-insect
The spur-legged phasmid is a stick insect native to Australia that feeds on eucalyptus leaves. Males have distinctive spurs on their thicker hind legs, while females can produce unfertilized eggs that hatch into females.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males show spurs on their enlarged hind legs, which give the species its common name.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
These insects are found on eucalyptus trees where they feed on the leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Their diet consists of gum (Eucalyptus) leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay eggs that can develop without fertilization, producing only female offspring (parthenogenesis). Newly hatched individuals are called nymphs and undergo several molts before reaching adulthood.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They are a common phasmid native to Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do spur-legged phasmids eat?
They feed on the leaves of eucalyptus (gum) trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How do they reproduce?
Females can lay eggs that hatch without fertilization, producing only female offspring.
Source: Wikipedia
What are the young called?
The newly hatched insects are called nymphs until they finish their final molts.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Phasmatidae)
Smooth Stick InsectClitarchus hookeri
Margin-winged Stick InsectCtenomorpha marginipennisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Prickly Stick InsectAcanthoxyla prasinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Spiny Leaf insectExtatosoma tiaratumCan bite
Titan Stick InsectAcrophylla titan
Unarmed stick-insectAcanthoxyla inermisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didymuria_violescens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.