Black Beauty Stick Insect
Peruphasma schultei
Also known as Black Beauty Walking Stick, Peruvian Firestick
- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold black beauty stick insect, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the black beauty stick insect
The black beauty stick insect, also called the golden-eyed stick insect, is a phasmid from the Cordillera del Condor region of northern Peru. It is a large, compact species with a black body, yellow eyes and bright red vestigial wings in adults. Females reach 5.5 cm and are larger than males, which measure 3.8 to 4.3 cm. In the wild it feeds on Schinus plants, though captive insects accept privet, Aucuba japonica and honeysuckle. When disturbed, adults can spray an irritating defensive liquid from glands at the rear of the head.
Black Beauty Stick Insect facts
- In Peru it is known from a region of less than 5 hectares.
- The spray from its head glands can irritate the skin and eyes.
- It is named after Rainer Schulte, who collected the original specimens.
- Its unusual colouring has made it a popular pet bred regularly in captivity worldwide.
Where to see black beauty stick insect in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding black beauty stick insect by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
California· 1
Ohio· 1
Oregon· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
