Golden-Eyed Stick Insect
CR

Golden-Eyed Stick Insect

Peruphasma schultei

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Peruphasma schultei, known as the black beauty stick insect and the golden-eyed stick insect, is a species of phasmid found in the Cordillera del Condor region of northern Peru. In the wild the insect feeds on Schinus plants, but will feed on privet, Aucuba japonica and honeysuckle in captivity. In Peru they are only known to exist in a region of less than 5 hectares, usually on volcanoes or mountains, but since their discovery they have become increasingly popular as pets worldwide due to their unusual colouration and they are now bred regularly in captivity.

Peruphasma schultei faces severe threats from deforestation and habitat conversion in its extremely limited range in northern Peru. The species' dependence on specific host plants makes it particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation, as small isolated populations cannot maintain genetic diversity. Overcollection for the international pet trade has further reduced wild populations, with specimens commanding high prices due to their rarity and striking appearance.

Threat summary

Habitat

This stick insect inhabits cloud forests and montane rainforests in the Cordillera del Cóndor region of northern Peru, typically at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters. It requires dense, humid forest canopy with specific host plants from the family Rubiaceae for feeding and reproduction.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist montane· majorArtificial - Terrestrial· majorGrassland· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservation

Threatened in Netherlands

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown
VU

Lesser White-fronted Goose

Anser erythropus

Declining
Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Golden-Eyed Stick Insect classified as Critically Endangered?
Golden-Eyed Stick Insect is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Peruphasma schultei faces severe threats from deforestation and habitat conversion in its extremely limited range in northern Peru. The species' dependence on specific host plants makes it particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation, as small isolated populations cannot maintain genetic diversity. Overcollection for the international pet trade has further reduced wild populations, with specimens commanding high prices due to their rarity and striking appearance.
Where does Golden-Eyed Stick Insect live?
Golden-Eyed Stick Insect occurs in Netherlands, Peru, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Golden-Eyed Stick Insect?
The main threats to Golden-Eyed Stick Insect are 2.1, 2.3, 7.1, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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