3 Species, Phylogeny and Evolution 2, 1 (30.6.2009): 3-139. Die Phylogenie der Stab- und Gespenstschrecken (Insecta: Phasmatodea) Phylogeny of the stick and leaf insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea) Sven Bradler Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Berliner Straße 28, D - 37073 Göttingen, e-mail sbradle@gwdg.de Abstract Phylogenetic studies of the stick and leaf insects (insect “order” Phasmatodea) have been essentially lacking for a long period of time. Although the taxonomy of phasmatodeans has been extensively revised in the last decade, only a few published studies of the phylogenetic systematics have been undertaken. Preliminary research agrees on the monophyly of the Phasmatodea, but the crown group relationships proposed by various authors have yielded conflicting hypotheses. Given the uncertainty concerning the phylogenetic affinities among phasmatodeans, I performed a comprehensive cladi- stic analysis based on 93 morphological and behavioural characters observed in 89 extant species representing all major lineages of Phasmatodea. Plecoptera and the putative sister taxa of Phasmatodea, the Embioptera and Orthoptera served as outgroups. The data set was analyzed with NONA and yielded 159 most parsimonious trees. The present study favours a sister group relationship between Phasmatodea and Embioptera, viz. the Eukinolabia hypothesis. The monophyletic status of Phasmatodea in its original sense (incl. the Nearctic Timema) is strongly supported. In all trees obtained, Timema is the sister group to the remaining Phasmatodea, the Euphasmatodea. Among the Euphasmatodea, the Chilean Agathemera is sister group to the remainder of the crown group that is hereafter termed the Neophasmatidae fam. nov. (resp. Verophas- matodea sensu Zompro). Within Neophasmatidae either the Aschiphasmatinae or Heteropteryginae are the sister group to the remaining species. The two major traditional phasmatodean subgroups Areolatae and Anareolatae are polyphyletic. Of the 19 traditional subfamilies established by Günther (1953), 9 are not supported by the present study: Bacillinae, Cladomorphinae, Diapheromerinae, Lonchodinae, Necrosciinae, Pachymorphinae, Phasmatinae, Pseudophasmatinae and Tropidoderinae. The families Bacillidae, Heteronemiidae (= Diapheromeridae), Phasmatidae and Pseudophasmatidae erected by Bradley & Galil (1977) are polyphyletic. The Diapheromerinae as revised by Zompro (2001a) are not suppor- ted either. In several cases, the proposed phylogenetic relationships of this study differ from the traditional classification to such an extent that saving traditional names is virtually impossible, and the introduction of new, rank-free names appears appropriate. These newly recognized taxa of the Euphasmatodea are as follows: Orxineformia tax. nov. are introduced for several Necrosciinae (Centrophasma, Diesbachia, Orxines and related spe- cies) that possess a characteristically developed primary ovipositor. Sermyleformia tax. nov. includes Parabacillus + Eusermyleformia tax. nov. This clade is characterized by strongly developed male cerci with basal protuberances, the reduction of the vomer, the loss of the tergal thorn pads and a shor- tened subgenital plate in the female. Eusermyleformia tax. nov. includes Diapheromera, Megaphasma, Pseudosermyle, Litosermyle, Manomera and Ser- myle, which have males with the abdominal stigmata 8 shifted to the middle of the corresponding segment. Schizodecema tax. nov. comprise the majority of Lonchodinae, Phasmatinae, a few members of Pachymorphinae and the Eurycanthomorpha. They are characterized by specialized male abdominal tergum 10 that is longitudinally divided into movable hemitergites forming a clasper for the purpose of copulation. The vomer of male Schizodecema is redu- ced. Other important implications of this study are as follows: Within Heteropteryginae the Datamini are the sister group of Obrimini + Heteropterygini. The Obrimini are pro- bably paraphyletic. The monophyly of Pseudophasmatinae s. str. (excl. Agathemera and Heteronemia, incl. Prisopus) is supported by apomorphic characters of the maxillae. Hence, the Aschiphasmatoidea, comprising Aschiphasmatinae and Prisopus among others, must be rejected. The Pseudophasmatinae-Xerosomatini are monophyletic. The assumption of Cladomorphinae-Hesperophasmatini forming a subordinate group of Xerosomatini is not supported. Within Pseudophas- matinae Eucles and Autolyca are sister taxa, questioning the monophyletic status of Stratocleini and Anisomorphini. A Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen