Phasmatodea exhibit a variety of cryptic ecomorphs associated with various microhabitats. Multiple ecomorphs are present in the stick insect fauna from Papua New Guinea, including the tree lobster, spiny, and long slender forms. While ecomorphs have long been recognized in phasmids, there has yet to be an attempt to objectively define and study the evolution of these ecomorphs. Using principal component analysis, PERMANOVA, ANOVA, and phylogenetic reconstructions, we examined the evolution of ecomorphs in the Lonchodinae stick insects of Papua New Guinea. Phylogenetic reconstructions were performed via maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods and ecomorphs were mapped onto recovered topologies to assess patterns of ecomorph evolution. Statistical test supported a general tree lobster ecomorph grouping with overlap of the slender and spiny ecomorph groups. Phylogenetic reconstructions recovered predominantly congruent topologies, with indications of ecomorph convergence across Phasmatodea. Three independent origins of the tree lobster ecomorph were recovered within the subfamily Lonchodinae. When ecomorph evolution was examined across Phasmatodea, multiple origins of the slender, spiny, tree lobster, and large winged ecomorphs were also recovered.

Stick and leaf insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea) are a mesodiverse order of insects distributed across the world. These masters of masquerade crypsis are riddled with analogous morphological characters and lack a robust taxonomic framework. It seems that convergent evolution and the re-evolution of complex traits like wings and ocelli is perhaps the rule rather than the exception in stick insects. To investigate the re-acquisition of traits in this unique study system, a robust phylogenetic framework is essential. Our analyses combine traditional Sanger data with a transcriptomic backbone to provide the most corroborated phylogenetic analyses to date. To accomplish this, we employ a taxon sampling strategy which nearly doubles the number of exemplars in previous studies covering nearly a third of species diversity in Phasmatodea. Ultimately, we found that stick and leaf insects contain rampant taxonomic incongruence and provide a framework for future studies on all aspects of their evolution.

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Polyneoptera is an assemblage of eleven insect orders comprising the "orthopteroid" insects. It includes familiar insects such as grasshoppers, roaches, termites, earwigs and preying mantises; as well as the more obscure web-spinners, angel insects and ice-crawlers. We present a phylogenetic analysis of the polyneopteran orders based on 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, Histone 3, and a coded morphology matrix for an extensive sampling of taxa. We investigate the use of congruence between separate datasets as an a priori measure of alignment quality. Our results support the paraphyly of Polyneoptera, the monophyly of Dictyoptera, sister taxon relationships between Embiidina + Phasmatodea and Dermaptera + Zoraptera, and a relatively basal placement of Plecoptera. The analyses also support a sister taxon relationship between the newly described Mantophasmatodea and Grylloblattodea, a small order of cryophilic insects confined to the northwestern Americas and northeastern Asia. This placement coupled with the morphological disparity of the two groups validates the creation of a new order for Mantophasmatodea. Our results also suggest the Direct Optimization (formerly Optimization Alignment) produces alignments that are more predictable across the parameter landscape than alignment via CLUSTAL X, as measured by congruence among independent data partitions. Dense taxon sampling and phylogenetic analysis of six molecular markers (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, COII, and H3) and morphological data for the order Plecoptera demonstrates that the subordinal groups Arctoperlaria and Antarctoperlaria are monophyletic. Euholognatha and Systellognatha are also monophyletic, with the exception of the genus Megaleuctra which is the basal lineage for the order and deserves recognition as a distinct family (Megaleuctridae). Notonemouridae is strongly supported as a monophyletic clade. Within the Systellognatha Styloperlidae is the basal lineage, followed by Peltoperlidae then Pteronarcyidae, and Perloidea is a strongly supported monophyletic group with Chloroperlidae as sister taxon to Perlidae + Perlodidae. The family Gripopterygidae is strongly supported as paraphyletic. Many Plecoptera (stoneflies) exhibit a pre-mating communication known as "drumming." Species of the genus Isogenoides have complex drumming behavior in which (i) the male calls the female by tapping his abdomen against the substrate, (ii) the female answers with her own distinctive tapping, and (iii) the male responds with a confirmatory series of taps. These drumming patterns are specific to individual species and may vary within a species to form distinct dialects. Phylogenetic analysis for the genus based on six molecular markers (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, COII, and H3) supports Yugus as its nearest extant relative and I. hansoni as the basal lineage within the genus. Drumming behavioral characters appear to be largely incongruent with the phylogeny.