Scionecra milledgei 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 : 18-21

Scionecra milledgei Hasenpusch & Brock , spec. nov. [Milledge’s Stick-insect]

( Figs. 18–28 )

Description

Female (holotype) ( Figs. 18–22 ): Elongate, dark brown, indistinctly mottled species, with short cerci. Body length 95 mm.

Head: Longer than wide, eyes small, lighter brown with two black stripes. Narrow black central longitudinal line, with three broader partial blackish lines either side of eyes; the lateral mark no longer than eyes. Antennae with numerous indistinct segments, basal and second segments broader than third and subsequent segments; second segment shorter than third. Antennae exceeding length of fore legs (14 segments up to end of femora, a further 23 to end of tibiae, then many more to tip). Three orange ocelli between eyes.

Thorax: Pronotum same length as head, with central indentation. Mesonotum over five times length of pronotum, with conspicuous, but sparse, short tubercles. Metanotum one third length of mesonotum.

Wings: Fore wings short, subtruncate at tip. Hind wings dusky brown, exceeding end of 5 th abdominal segment; pre-anal part mottled, as in body colour.

Abdomen: 8 th –10 th segments significantly reduced in length. Anal segment subtruncate at tip; operculum tapered towards tip, not reaching half length of anal segment. Cerci short, rounded at tip.

Legs: Moderate length, hind legs not reaching end of 7 th abdominal segment. Fore femora rather incurved at base and broadened.

Paratype female (1)

Same as holotype, except shorter. Body length 90 mm.

Paratype males (3) ( Figs. 23–27 ) Shorter and slenderer, otherwise similar to the female. Anal segment similar shape, subgenital plate also broad, but not quite reaching end of 9 th abdominal segment. Hind legs exceed end of abdomen. Body length 64–65 mm.

Egg ( Fig. 28 ). Oval, dark brown heavily sculptured capsule, net-like (including operculum), broad black micropylar plate almost from base to rim; broader at base. Operculum flat, sculptured. Capsule length 1.6 mm, width 1.2 mm, height 1.2 mm.

Holotype ♀, Australia: Qld : 16 Km W. of Paluma , 807m., 18.ii.2006, D.C.F. Rentz, P.D. Brock & J. Hasenpusch, Stop 2 ( QMBA) . Paratypes (all north Queensland, Australia): ♂, same data ( QMBA), ♂, Mt. Spec , Paluma Ra. , 5–7.i.1965, Brooks ( ANIC), ♂, ♀, 14km. N. Paluma , 25.i.2001, J. & P. Hasenpusch (J. Hasenpusch coll.). Eggs (not paratypes) have also been deposited in QMBA .

Distribution So far found in only in and around Paluma , north Queensland. Notes

Observed feeding on Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) in dry Eucalyptus country. We were extremely fortunate to collect two specimens, as a hunting spider took a liking to the male! Initially this new species was thought to be a size variant of the variable Scionecra queenslandica ( Sjöstedt, 1918) , but eggs are quite distinctive (the sculpturing is not present in queenslandica eggs), as well as other features (see table). We are not entirely convinced that S. queenslandica and S. milledgei are correctly placed in Scionecra , a study of eggs may assist, if any become known from Asian members of the genus. It appears that S. queenslandica (type localities in the Atherton Tableland) is a rainforest species whereas S. milledgei prefers dry Eucalyptus country.

Derivation of name

Named after Graham Milledge (Australian Museum, Sydney), a keen entomologist who has considerably assisted our studies on phasmids by obtaining interesting specimens and eggs from various parts of Australia.

Note: no additional measurements for 90 mm female paratype

Figures

FIGURE 18. Scionecra milledgei holotype female (QMBA), 95 mm.

FIGURE 19–21. Scionecra milledgei. 19. end of abdomen in holotype female, dorsal view. 20. end of abdomen in holotype female, lateral view. 21. end of abdomen in holotype female, ventral view.

FIGURE 22. Scionecra milledgei holotype female, colour in nature.

FIGURE 23. Scionecra milledgei male paratype (QMBA), 64 mm.

FIGURE 24–26. Scionecra milledgei. 24. end of abdomen in male paratype, dorsal view. 25. end of abdomen in male paratype, lateral view. 26. end of abdomen in male paratype, ventral view.

FIGURE 27. Scionecra milledgei male paratype, colour in nature.

FIGURE 28. Scionecra milledgei egg a) dorsal, b) lateral (scale bar, 1 mm).