NOMEN:
Spectra Lichtenstein 1796: 77 [Lichtenstein A.A.H., Catalogus musei Zoologici ditissimi Hamburgi, d III Februar 1796. Auctionis lege distrahendarum. Sectio Tertia. Continens Insecta. Hamburg, gerdic kt bey Gottl. Friedr. Schniebes. 1796. 222 p.]
Spectra Latreille 1802: 271 [P.A. Latreille. Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliere des Crustacés et des Insectes. T.3, 1802]
ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP
(Lichtenstein 1796) ; (Latreille
1802):
Phyllium + Phasma 
JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:
= Ambulatoria Westwood 1839
= Phasmoptera Jeannel 1947
= Phasmatoptera Beier 1955
= Cheleutopteroidea Kevan 1976
NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYM (distinctly without †Chresmoda/fg):
= Euphasmatodea ?Martynova 1962
TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Phasma/fg
TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE: Spectridia (ex Spectrum Rafinesque 1915, nomen nudum); Phasmida, Phasmodea, Phasmidae, Phasminae, Phasmidi, Phasmoidea, Phasmaria, Phasmatodea, Phasmatoda, Phasmataria, et al.
MODERN
STATUS: 
the valid, the
oldest name of a generally accepted, holophyletic taxon.
The generic name Phasma (which is an adjective in singular) originates from Greek φασμα – ghost; in translation to Latin – spectrum (in plural – spectra). Originally, the generic name Spectrum Stoll 1787 was given to a taxon uniting all stick-insects; it is unavailable, being a junior homonym of the generic name Spectrum Scopoli 1777. Lichtenstein (1796) used the name «Spectra Stolli» for a group of species within the genus Mantis, and Latreille used the name Spectra for a supra-generic taxon: initially for a division in the family Mantides (Latreille 1802, 1806–1809), later for a family in the order Orthoptera (Latreille 1825).
Sometimes this taxon is called «Cheleutoptera» (e.g., Crampton 1924). However, originally the name Cheleutoptera Crampton 1915 was given to an order including only a part of stick-insects, while leaf-like stick-insects constituted an order Phylloptera Crampton 1915.