Sipyloidea rentzi Brock & Hasenpusch, 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 : 36-38

Sipyloidea rentzi Brock & Hasenpusch , spec. nov. [Rentz’s Sipyloidea Stick-insect]

( Figs. 62–68 )

Description

Female (holotype) ( Figs. 62–65 ): Elongate, dark green, long-winged; cerci long and thin. Body length 84 mm.

Head: Almost as wide as long, eyes small, dark brown. Narrow cream line from eyes to back of head. Antennae with numerous indistinct segments, basal and second segments broader, third segment marginally longer than second. Antennae easily exceeding length of fore legs.

Thorax: Pronotum same length as head, with almost central indentation. Mesonotum sparsely granulated, more than four times length of pronotum, with paler lateral line. Metanotum considerably shorter than mesonotum.

Wings: Fore and hind wings large, latter whitish with a hint of yellow, exceeding end of 6 th abdominal segment.

Abdomen: Anal segment slightly longer than 9 th abdominal segments, sharply tapered from half length to an almost rounded tip. Operculum tapered to a rounded tip, not reaching half length of anal segment. Cerci long, very slender, rounded at tip.

Legs: Long, hind legs exceeding end of abdomen.

Paratype females (1).

Same as holotype except body length 85 mm.

Paratype males (4) ( Figs. 66–68 ).

Smaller, similar to the female, except much slenderer. Cream line from eyes to head broader. Anal segment similar shape, subgenital plate not reaching end of 9 th abdominal segment. Body length 57–60 mm.

Holotype ♀, 16°48ʹS; 145°38ʹE ( GPS), Qld, Kuranda, 335 m., (Top of the Range) 19 Butler Dr, 15–31.i.2005, D.C.F. Rentz ( ANIC) . Paratypes (all north Queensland, Australia): ♀, same data, except 15–31.i.2004, ♂, same data, except 1–15.ix.2003, ♂, same data, except 1–15.xi.2003, ♂, 16°40ʹS; 145°38ʹE ( GPS) , Qld , Kuranda , 335 m., ( Top of the Range) 11 Victor Pl, 12.i. 2006, 381m, G. & R. Wilson & D.C.F. Rentz, ♂, 16°50ʹS; 147°37ʹE ( GPS) , Qld, 1.5 km S. of Kuranda on Kennedy Highway ‘Arona’, 10.xii.[20]03, D.C.F. Rentz & J. Van Pelt, rainforest, grassland & Acacia (all ANIC) .

Distribution So far mainly found at garden lights in Kuranda, Queensland.

Notes

Closely related to S. garradungensis , but rentzi is more elongated, with some different features, notably long, thin cerci almost two and a half times longer. Wings in the female are also much longer than garradungensis . Unfortunately no eggs of rentzi are available for study.

Derivation of name

Named after the collector and well known specialist in orthopteroid insects, David C. F. Rentz (born 1942).

Figures

FIGURE 62. Sipyloidea rentzi holotype female (ANIC), 84 mm.

FIGURES 63–65. Sipyloidea rentzi holotype female. 63. head and thorax, lateral view. 64. end of abdomen, dorsal view. 65. end of abdomen, lateral view.

FIGURE 66. Sipyloidea rentzi male paratype (ANIC), 60 mm.

FIGURES 67–68. Sipyloidea rentzi male paratype. 67. end of abdomen, dorsal view. 68. end of abdomen, lateral view.