In adult females this area is not only wide, but also significantly increased due to the eggs that are permanently and often produced in more or less large numbers.

This is ventral formed from the eighth abdominal sternite, which is here named subgenital plate,[7] or also called operculum.

Dorsally it is formed in the Heteropteryginae and the Obrimini by the eleventh abdominal tergum called the supraanal plate or Epiproct.

The thickened end of the abdomen is formed ventrally by the subgenital plate and dorsally by the eighth, ninth and tenth tergum.

The body can be covered with numerous pointed spines, more or less blunt thorns or tubercles, which can be found mainly on the upper side of the head and thorax.

On the continental mainland of Asia Haaniella gorochovi is the only Hetropteryginae species, which can be found in the south of Vietnam.

In addition, they settle on the Asian mainland in eastern Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and parts of South China.

Even further to the east is Viti Levu, the main island of the Fiji group, which is the distribution area of Pterobrimus depressus.

[4][1] The adult females of Heteropteryginae and Obriminae lay their often relatively large eggs almost always individually, several centimeters deep in the ground using the ovipositor.

In Epidares and some Orestes species it has been proven that they prepare a hollow in the ground with their forelegs, then quickly fold the abdomen over the front body, squeezing out an egg.

After two to twelve months, the nymphs hatch from the eggs, which are quite large even in smaller species with a length of at least 10 mm.

Finally, the abdomen and the thorny hind legs are raised, whose tibiae are knocked against the femura like a ratchet knife during tactile stimuli, causing the opponent to become trapped.

[12] William Forsell Kirby established the subfamily Heteropteryginae within the family Bacillidae for the genus Heteropteryx in 1896, without referring to the Obrimini from Brunner's work.

[13] Josef Redtenbacher included the genera of today's Obriminae and Dataminae such as Brunner in the tribe Obrimini, while he included the genera Heteropteryx, Leocrates (today synonym to Heteropteryx) and again Parectatosoma, as well as the newly established Anisacantha in the tribe Heteropterygini leads.

Of the four tribes contained, three were placed in the rank of subfamilies, while the Malagasy species were transferred to the newly established family Anisacanthidae.

[4] The three subfamilies and their tribes are shown here down to the genus level:[4][3] In the first genetic analysis for clarification of the phylogeny of a phasmid family were described by Sarah Bank et al. in sum seven mitochondrial genes and gene from the cell nucleus examined to clarify relationship within this family as well as their phylogenetic classification in other phasmid groups.

In addition, the special position of the genus Hoploclonia, known from the morphology of the ovipsitor, was also phylogenetically confirmed and accounted for by setting up a corresponding tribe.

The representatives Heteropterigini form a common clade, but the genus Heteropteryx is phylogenetically placed in the middle of several lines of species currently listed in Haaniella.

The classification of the Heteropterygidae in so far genetically examined representatives of different taxa is shown in the following cladogram:[1] Aschiphasmatidae Phylliidae Heteronemiinae Diapheromerinae inkc.