Spinosipyloidea 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 : 43

Spinosipyloidea Hasenpusch & Brock , gen. nov.

Type species. Spinosipyloidea doddi Hasenpusch & Brock , sp. nov., here designated.

Characteristics of the genus

Stocky, small to medium-sized winged phasmids. female) or tuberculate mesonotum.

Head almost as wide as long, eyes small. Bold central longitudinal stripe, with dark brown central patches between eyes and stripe. Other indentations present at back of head. Antennae with c. 80 indistinct segments, longer than fore legs; first two segments slightly broader. Bold central longitudinal stripe continuing along thorax. Pronotum slightly longer than head. Mesonotum twice length of pronotum, with a cluster of bold, paired spines, particularly slanting forwards anteriorly (female), or tubercles (male). Laterally with several short spines, ventrally with a series of central tubercles. Metanotum almost as long as mesonotum. Fore wings large, subtruncate at tip. Hind wings large, reaching up to end of 9 th abdominal segment; tessellated in female. Anal segment in female much shorter than 9 th abdominal segment rounded at tip, deeply incised in centre. Two deep ridges either side of centre; operculum long, pointed at tip, almost reaching end of anal segment. Anal segment in male broad, with two rounded lobes and bold ridges. Cerci short, rounded at tip. Legs banded, rather short for Necrosciinae ; apex of fore femora slightly broader. All femora with short apical spines.

Egg. Oval capsule, extremely hairy, hence small, almost central micropylar plate, partly obscured. The unusual eggs can stick to surfaces.

Notes: Spines are rare in Australian Necrosciinae , with the slender Malandella Sjöstedt, 1918 , possessing a few mesothoracic spines. Whilst one Rhamphosipyloidea species has more large, thoracic spine-like tubercles (female only), it is an elongate insect, with a beak-like abdomen. Thus the stocky Spinosipyloidea is easily distinguished from other Australasian genera (the tessellated female hind wings are also unique so far in Australian Necrosciinae ) and appears to have no close Asian relatives. The egg of this new genus is unusual and appears to be designed to stick to surfaces; this may be an adaptation to the host food plant, whose leaves are hairy, hence eggs cling to them.

Species included S. doddi Hasenpusch & Brock , sp. nov.

Derivation of name Spiny ‘Sipyloidea’, which is named after a mountain in Lydia, where Niobe was turned into stone.