The
Phasmatodea (also known as
Phasmida or
Phasmatoptera) are an
order of
insects, whose members are variously known as
stick insects (in
Europe and
Australasia),
stick-bugs or
walking sticks (in the
United States and
Canada),
phasmids,
ghost insects and
leaf insects (generally the family
Phylliidae). The group's name is derived from the
Ancient Greek φάσμα
phasma, meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to the resemblance of many species to sticks or leaves. Their natural
camouflage makes them difficult for
predators to detect, but many species have a secondary line of defence in the form of startle displays, spines or toxic secretions. The genus
Phobaeticus includes the world's longest insects.