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unidentified creature

Since it has six legs, I believe it's some sort of insect, but I could be wrong.

I spotted it in my Central Texas backyard (Austin area). It was very slow and not at all skittish.

For size reference, it's standing on a 2x4. It was a good 3-5 inches long, not counting antennae.

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    $\begingroup$ I don't know anything about Texas insects, but it almost looks like a species of walking stick or other phasmatodea. I don't think I can get any closer than that. $\endgroup$
    – user137
    Aug 27, 2014 at 5:18
  • $\begingroup$ I think you may be right. I looked into it a little more after posting this, and the nearest match I've found is the Two-Striped Walkingstick: insectidentification.org/…. Thanks for your input! $\endgroup$
    – Bungle
    Aug 27, 2014 at 5:23
  • $\begingroup$ yes walkingstick is what we would have called it in texas but i dont know if it fits the scientific classification...it sure is fat though $\endgroup$
    – user1357
    Aug 27, 2014 at 7:01
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    $\begingroup$ It is the Two-striped walking stick $\endgroup$
    – The Last Word
    Aug 27, 2014 at 7:10

1 Answer 1

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Walkingsticks, like that in your photo, belong to the insect order Phasmida (also sometimes called Phasmatodea). The species in your photo belongs to the family Pseudophasmatidae. Texas has two species documented for this family. One is Anisomorpha ferruginea, commonly called the dark walkingstick or northern two-striped walkingstick. The other species is Anisomorpha buprestoides, commonly called Florida stick insect or two-striped walkingstick.

According to W.S. Blatchley's Orthoptera of Northeastern America (1920), pg. 145, A. ferruginea has narrow stripes and is a bit shorter than A. buprestoides, which has broad stripes. Based on the appearance of the stripes in your photo, I'd say you have A. buprestroides.

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