Sipyloidea garradungensis Hasenpusch & Brock, 2007

Brock, Paul D. & Hasenpusch, Jack, 2007, Studies on the Australian stick insects (Phasmida), including a checklist of species and bibliography, Zootaxa 1570 (1), pp. 1-81 : 25-28

Sipyloidea garradungensis Hasenpusch & Brock , spec. nov. [Garradunga Green-winged Stick-insect]

( Figs. 34 –42)

Description

Female (holotype) ( Figs. 34–37 ): Slender, uniform mid-green, species with short cerci; wings shortened. Body length 73 mm.

Head: Rather longer than wide, eyes small, dark brown. Faint central longitudinal line. Antennae with numerous indistinct segments, basal and second segments broader; first segment longer, second and third segments same length. Antennae easily exceeding length of fore legs, final segment but one, white.

Thorax: Pronotum marginally shorter than head, with central almost central cross-like indentation. Mesonotum well over four times length of pronotum, inconspicuously, sparsely granulated. Metanotum only one third length of mesonotum.

Wings: Fore wings large, subtruncate at tip. Hind wings whitish, with a hint of pale yellow, rather shortened, hence not reaching end of 4 th abdominal segment; pre-anal part plain, as in body colour, except base brownish green.

Abdomen: Elongate, tapering from longer 7 th abdominal segment. Segments 8–10 (anal segment) about equal in length, end of anal segment tapered, deeply incised in centre; operculum slender, tapering sharply to the tip, reaching end of 9th segment. Cerci moderately long and slender, rounded at tip.

Legs: Long, hind legs easily exceeding end of abdomen.

Paratype females (6).

Same as holotype except for size differences (body length 60–77 mm).

Paratype males (19) ( Figs. 38–41 )

Smaller, similar to the female, except much slenderer. Anal segment similar shape, subgenital plate similar, tip broader and almost rounded, again not quite reaching end of 9 th abdominal segment. Body length 45– 57 mm.

Egg (Fig. 42). Small, stout pale brown capsule, not quite rounded, sculptured with larger network pattern. Operculum rising almost dome-like from ridge, circular sculpturing at peak. Micropylar plate, broad, running from centre of capsule to rim. Capsule length 1.5 mm, width 1.5 mm, height 1.8 mm.

Holotype ♀, Australia: north Queensland, Polly Creek, Garradunga, nr. Innisfail , 13.ii.2006, P.D. Brock & J. Hasenpusch ( QMBA) . Paratypes (all north Queensland, Australia): ♂, same data ( QMBA), ♂, ♀, same data, except 26.x.1997 ( BMNH), ♂, same data, except 18.ix.2000, J. Hasenpusch (J. Hasenpusch coll.), ♂, same data, except reared by P.D. Brock on Eucalyptus , xii.1998, ♂, same data, except x.1997, ♂, north Queensland, Ella Bay , 14.ii.2006, J. Hasenpusch & P.D. Brock (all P.D. Brock coll.), ♂, north Queensland, Ella Bay , 5.xi.2006, J. Hasenpusch (J. Hasenpusch coll.), ♂, 17.15S 145.38E, Lake Barrine , Atherton Tableland , Qld , 28.i.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-8 , ♂, ♀ same data except 7.ii.1988, ♂, same data, except 12.iii.1988, ♀ same data, except 6.xii.1985, J. Balderson, collected as nymph matured 23.i.[19]86, ♀ Lake Eacham , Q [ueensland], 2.v.1955, Norris & Common, ♀ 17.35S 145.42E, Palmerston Nat. Park , 12km SE of Millaa Millaa, Qld , 15.xii.1985, J. Balderson, 2♂, 17.06S 145.37E, Mt. Haig road, 11km NE. of Tinaroo Dam Wall , Atherton Tableland , Qld , 5.ii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-15 , ♀, 17.05S 145.35E, Mt. Haig , 22km NE by N of Atherton , Qld , 16.iii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-35 , ♂, 17.23S 145.45E, nr. Butchers Creek (village), Atherton Tableland , Qld , 600–680m., 2.iii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-29 , 2♂, 17.10S 145.39E, nr. Cathedral Fig, Danbulla Forestry Reserve , 13km NE by N. of Yungaburra, Qld, 25.iii.1988 at light, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-19 a, ♂, 17.35S 145.43E, 9km W. of Crawfords Lookout (1 road km S. of Palmerston Hwy.), Palmerston Nat. Park, Qld, 9.ii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-16 , ♂, 17.16S 145.29E, The Crater, Mt. Hypipamee Nat. Park, Atherton Tableland, Qld, 24.ii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-22 , ♂, 17.02S 145.37E, Davies Ck, (15 road km from Kennedy Hwy.), 22km E. by S. of Mareeba, Qld, 24.iii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-28 b, ♂, 17.12S 145.40E, Gillies Range (1.2 km S. of Cathedral Fig turn-off), 12km NE. of Yungaburra, Atherton Tableland, Qld, 9.iii.1988, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop A-33 (all ANIC). Eggs (not paratypes) have also been deposited in all collections mentioned above .

Distribution

So far found only in rainforest in north Queensland, from Garradunga to Atherton Tableland. This species most probably has a restrictive range, as searches in many other localities in north Queensland have not produced further specimens.

Notes

Occasionally observed feeding on rainforest plants, including Rubus and fairly easy to rear, including on raspberries Rubus (Rosaceae) and Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) . From the eggs, this species may be closely related to S. brevicerci , but is very similar in general appearance to the larger S. rentzi , which has considerably longer cerci. S. garradungensis is quick to take flight, or females use a startle display, flashing open their yellowish hind wings and holding them open for several seconds. The type series size variation relates to smaller specimens from the Atherton Tableland; large specimens are all from Garradunga. In ANIC, listed as Sipyloidea sp. 2 .

Derivation of name Named after the type locality at Garradunga, a rainforest area rich in insect life, including phasmids.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Sipyloidea garradungensis holotype female (QMBA), 73 mm.

FIGURES 35–37. 35. end of abdomen in holotype female, dorsal view. 36. end of abdomen in holotype female, lateral view. 37. end of abdomen in holotype female, ventral view.

FIGURE 38. Sipyloidea garradungensis male paratype (QMBA), 57 mm.

FIGURES 39–41. Sipyloidea garradungensis. 39. end of abdomen in male paratype, dorsal view. 40. end of abdomen in male paratype, lateral view. 41. end of abdomen in male paratype, ventral view. 42. egg a) dorsal, b) lateral (scale bar, 1 mm).