Diapheromerinae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Supercohort: Polyneoptera
Cohort: Anartioptera
Magnordo: Polyorthoptera
Superordo: Orthopterida
Ordo: Phasmatodea
Superfamilia: Phasmatoidea
Familia: Diapheromeridae
Subfamilia: Diapheromerinae
Tribus: Diapheromerini - Ocnophilini - Oreophoetini
Name
Diapheromerinae Kirby, 1904

Diapheromerinae is a subfamily of the stick insect family Diapheromeridae. They belong to the superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea.[1]

The family contains the huge Paraphanocles keratosqueleton, often discussed under its obsolete name[2] Bostra maxwelli and known as godhorse or hag's horse in Barbados. It belongs to the typical tribe of Diapheromerinae, the Diapheromerini. It grows to over 30 cm (12 in) long and is known for its slow-moving stick-like appearance. In A-Z of Barbados Heritage, the species is discussed thus:

Godhorse. The local name of unknown origin for the walking stick insect which may grow to 33 cm[verification needed]. ... Many people are afraid of it, on the grounds that if given a chance, it will crawl into a human ear, though there is no record of any having done so. There is a superstitious belief that the presence of a godhorse around the house means a death will occur at the house. They are harmless to man but are generally disliked and Rev. Hughes common name of Hag's Horse conveys this.[3]

Systematics

Three tribes are generally recognized in the Diapheromerinae. These, with some notable genera and species are:[4]

Diapheromerini Zompro, 2001 Selected genera:

Diapheromera Gray, 1835
Diapheromera femorata – common American walkingstick, northern walkingstick
Megaphasma Caudell, 1903[5]
Pseudosermyle Caudell, 1903[4]

Ocnophilini Günther, 1953

Dubiophasma Zompro, 2001
Exocnophila Zompro, 2001
Ocnophila Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907
Parocnophila Zompro, 1998

Oreophoetini Zompro, 2001

Dyme (phasmid) Stål, 1875
Libethra Stål, 1875
Lobolibethra Hennemann & Conle, 2007
Ocnophiloidea Zompro, 2001
Oreophoetes Rehn, 1904
Oreophoetophasma Zompro, 2002

Footnotes

PSG (2009)
Bostra is actually the name for a genus of Pyralini snout moths
Carrington & Fraser (2003)
"Phasmida Species File, tribe Diapheromerini". phasmida.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 17 June 2021.

"Phasmida species file, genus Megaphasma".

References

Carrington, Sean & Fraser, Henry C. (eds.) (2003): "Godhorse". In: A-Z of Barbados Heritage: p. 88. Macmillan Caribbean. ISBN 0-333-92068-6
Phasmid Study Group (PSG) (2009): Phasmida SpeciesFile – Diapheromerinae. Version of 28 September 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2011.