Notes on some Remarkable Tasmanian Invertebrates.

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Pap. Proceedings Royal Society of Tasmania, 1902, pp. 81-82

By Arthur M. Lea, F.E.S., etc.

(Read July 8th, 1902.)

(Issued July 23rd, 1902.)

(Plate.)

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Under the above heading I propose from time to time to give notes on some remarkable Tasmanian insects, and probably other invertebrate forms of life. The notes, whenever possible, will be illustrated with sketches. The present deals with one of the walking-stick insects, being the first record of the occurrence of this remarkable family (Phasmidæ) in Tasmania.

Acrophylla tasmaniensis, n. sp.


Plate 1
Of a dingy, testaceous brown; wings black, costal area on its basal half variegated with yellow and black, the outer half testaceous brown. Antennæ very finely pubescent.

Head without granules, anterior half wrinkled ; ocelli absent. Antennæ thin, joints 23 in number, first the length of second and third combined, second slightly more than half the length of third, terminal joint almost the length of the three preceding combined. Prothorax not quite as long as head, surface wrinkled, and with a few very small granules. Mesothorax more than twice the length of pro. thorax and head combined, with small scattered spines. Tegmina nearly three times as long as wide, apex rounded. concealing about half the length of the folded wings. Wings about once and one-half as long as wide, the costal area about one-third of the whole. Abdomen about two-thirds of the total length of body, fifth segment inflated on each side posteriorly, sixth raised in middle of base; anal styles long, parallel-sided, somewhat wavy, apex rounded. Meso- and metasternum with a few small granules; ovipositor longer than three apical segments. Legs long and thin, anterior femora serrate, the others with small spines, of which the largest are on the middle of the upper surface ; tibiæ feebly spinose (the anterior almost bare of spines), the intermediate each with a large tooth on the upper surface before the middle.

* The lengths given in brackets are those of the immature specimen.
Lengths in millimetres: Head, 8 [*5½]; prothorax, 7 [5]; mesothorax, 31. [19]; metathorax, 16 [18]; abdomen (exclusive of anal styles), 89 [54]; autennæ, 26 [11½]; anal styles, 20 [8]; anterior femora, 39 [23]; tibiæ, 42 [26]; tarsi, 16 [11]; intermediate femora, 28 [18]; tibiæ, 30 [18]; tarsi 13 [8½]; posterior femora, 84 [20]; tibiæ, 38 [22],
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tarsi, 15 [10]; tegmina, 19 [2½]; wings, 20 [3]; total length (including anal styles), 170 [102].

Habitat, Burnie.

(Presented to the Tasmanian Museum by Miss Dora Shoobridge.)

The specimen (a female) appears to be somewhat discoloured, as there are traces of green on the mesothorax under surface of tegmina and anal styles; the ovipositor is also somewhat damaged. The large tooth of the intermediate tibiæ is single on the left, but double on the right.

The species appears to be allied to A. chronus (Westwood, Catalogue of Phasmidæ, p. 114, supplementary plate V., fig. 2), but should be distinct on account of the posteriorly inflated fourth abdominal segment and large teeth of tb intermediate tibiæ. From Westwood's figure it differs in shape of the tegmina and length of wings; the latter, however, are described as being very variable in length. The colours of the wings are very different to those given for chronus, the membranous portion being entirely black, while in the figure it is drawn (and also so described) as being variegated. The serrations and spines of the legs are also very different to those on Westwood's figure.

An immature specimen, evidently belonging to this species, was presented to the Department of Agriculture by Mr. W. C. Weymouth. Its antennæ consist of but 24 joints each. The spines and serrations of the legs are the same as in the type, even to the peculiar dentition of the intermediate tibiæ. The tegmina and wings are very small, of almost equal size and shape, and of a dull greenish yellow, with thickened edges, they look like scales. The general colour of the body is rather paler than that of the type.

It is, therefore, the longest (although not the largest) insect at present known to occur in Tasmania.


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