Paratropidoderus 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 : 60-61

Paratropidoderus Brock & Hasenpusch , gen. nov.

Type species. Paratropidoderus spinosus Brock & Hasenpusch sp. nov., here designated.

Characteristics of the genus

Elongate Tropidoderinae , body length 87–101 mm in male (female not yet known).

Head much longer than wide. Eyes large. Antennae longer than fore femora, with c. 24 segments; basal segment broader and twice length of second segment. Pronotum much shorter than head. Mesonotum almost four times length of pronotum, with series of conspicuous conical, paired spine-like tubercles. Smaller tubercles present laterally and ventrally. Metanotum conspicuously shorter than mesonotum. Fore wings long, leaflike, hind wings also fairly long, reaching end of 6 th abdominal segment. Abdomen slender. End of anal segment margins rounded, slightly incised in centre. Subgenital plate swollen, subtruncate at tip, reaching end of 9 th abdominal segment. Cerci broad, leaf-like, but short for Tropidoderinae . Legs long, hind legs about reaching end of abdomen. Mid and hind legs spiny.

Notes: From the general appearance, Paratropidoderus looks closest to Tropidoderus , but it is easily distinguished by the spine-like tubercles on the mesonotum (lacking in Tropidoderus ). Paratropidoderus also has short cerci (long in Tropidoderus )

Distribution Only known from just a few specimens from Queensland and New South Wales.

Species included Paratropidoderus spinosus Brock & Hasenpusch sp. nov.

Derivation of name Near Tropidoderus .