{{Short description|Subfamily of stick insects}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Phasmidae - Bactrododema species.jpg | image_caption = ''Bactrododema'' species | taxon = Palophinae | authority = Kirby, 1896 | synonyms = Palophini }}
'''Palophinae''' is a subfamily of the stick insect family Diapheromeridae. They belong to the superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea.<ref name = psg2009>PSG (2009)</ref>
Altogether about 20 species of Palophinae are known to date. They have a relictual distribution and are endemic to the southern Africa, with one occurring as far north as the Gulf of Guinea.<ref name = brock2004>Brock (2004)</ref>
==Systematics== This is the smallest and least diverse of the Diapheromeridae subfamilies. Sometimes this subfamily is held to contain a single tribe '''Palophini''', but this is redundant as long as no basal members of this lineage are known e.g. as fossils. Of its mere two genera, one is fairly speciose (with new species still being discovered), but the other is monotypic.<ref name = brock2004 />
The genera are:<ref name = psg2009 /> * ''Bactrododema'' <small>Stål, 1858</small> (including ''Palophus''<!-- Westwood, 1859 -->)<!-- AnnalsOfTheTransvaalMuseum41:61. --> * ''Dematobactron'' <small>Karny, 1923</small>
==Footnotes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{Wikispecies-inline}} * {{aut|Brock, P.D.}} (2004): Taxonomic notes on giant southern African stick insects (Phasmida), including the description of a new ''Bactrododema'' species. ''Annals of the Transvaal Museum'' '''41''': 61–77. [http://www.sabinet.co.za/abstracts/nfi_annalstm/nfi_annalstm_v41_a4.html HTML abstract] * {{aut|Phasmid Study Group (PSG)}} (2009): Phasmida SpeciesFile – [http://phasmid-study-group.org/category/SpeciesFile-28092009/8557 Palophinae]. Version of 2009-SEP-28. Retrieved 2011-APR-19.
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Category:Phasmatodea subfamilies Category:Phasmatodea
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