Acrophylla cornuta (Tepper, 1905)

Common Name:

Delete this section if there is no common name.

Identification:

volant; male and female mesopterous

body 172 mm.

head 10 mm.
width, 7 mm.

pronotum 8 mm.
width, 6.5 mm.

mesonotum 38 mm.
width, 65 mm.

metanotum 15 mm.
width, 8 mm.

abdomen 103 mm.
width, 9 mm.

tegmina 22 mm.
width, 6 mm.

wings 47 mm.
width, 47 mm.

ant. femora 34 mm.

ant. tibiæ 33 mm.

ant. tarsi 11 mm.

med. femora 27 mm.

med. tibiæ 30 mm.

med. tarsi 8 mm.

post. femora 46 mm.

post. tibiæ 42 mm.

post. tarsi 10 mm.

antennæ 35 mm.

Female. Body hoary grey to whitish, or brownish, where discoloured. Head with two thick, acuminate, rugose horns, almost vertical, and subparallel, and with several rows of tubercles. Tegmina small, with brown veins and veinlets. Wings perfect, but too small for flight; costal area with base pale, and adjoining a large black spot, remainder with illdefined pale and dark bars and blotches; membranous portion deep black, with about five narrow, more or less irregular and disrupted transverse pale bars and some small isolated spots uear the external margin. Pronotum tuberculate, furrowed, and ridged. Anterior femora stout, acutely triquetrous, the superior ridge with four subequal, broad, forward-directed serrations, terminating in acute spinelets. Mesonotum finely tuberculate in front and behind, with some scattered spine-lets (two larger than the rest), on the disc. Median femora with eight spinelets along inferior internal ridge, and one near the middle of the external; internal ridge of median tibiæ with three triangular spines, and one on the external near the joint, besides the terminal spurs. Hind femora with larger spines along the central line beneath, five small spines along the inner lower ridge, and four minute ones on the external. Abdomen stout, cylindrical to fifth segment, but gradually contracted beyond. Posterior margin of fourth segment with four short ridges, the outer ones convergent, and the margin between thorn extended into a foliate quadrilateral appendage with rugose edges, and double mid-rib, 4 mm. long. Subgenital lamina much exceeding the next two segments in length (24 mm.), apex broad, subemarginate. Cerci very short, scarcely exceeding anal segment. Under side of abdomen with a double row of tubercles to sixth segment, 6 to 8 on each segment. (Tepper 1905)

About 80% of eggs are placed into sandy soil by the female, with the remainder dropped.

Eggs take about 8-12 months to hatch.

The species appears to be cold tolerant, which makes sense considering where they live, but obviously their growth is slowed considerably. In a heated environment around 26°C, moults occur about every fortnight. Males undergo 5 moults, females 7. (Mark Hura, pers. comm. 2000)

Habitat:

Nymphs known to eat Acacia argyrophylla, A. brachybotrya and A. victoriae. The adults are less fussy, they also eat A. iteaphylla and, rarely Eucalyptus. (Mark Hura, pers. comm. 2000)

Similar Species:

Rearing Notes:

Successfully reared by Mark Hura - with difficulty. Note any suggestions for successful rearing.

For a stick insect with body length 172mm, to keep 2 adult females, you need a cage at least 800mm high, 350mm deep and 350mm wide.

Range:

W plateau, SA; known only from type locality (not any more!)

Status:

It is not known if this species is endangered, as there is insufficient sighting history.

References:

Balderson, J., Rentz, D.C.F. and Roach, A.M.E. (1998). in Houston, W.K.K. & Wells, A. (1998) (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 23. Archaeognatha, Zygentoma, Blattodea, Isoptera, Mantodea, Dermaptera, Phasmatodea, Embioptera, Zoraptera. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, Australia (ISBN 0643 06035 9). pp. 347 - 376.
Tepper, J.G.O. (1905). Insects collected in the North-western Region of South Australia Proper by H. Basedow; with Descriptions of New Species of Mantidæ and Phasmidæ, No. 2. Transactions of the Royal Society South Australia, 29: 237-245.
Vickery, V.R. (1983). Catalogue of Australian stick insects (Phasmida, Phasmatodea, Phasmatoptera, or Cheleutoptera). CSIRO Australian Division of Entomology Technical Paper, No. 20, 15 pp.
Search Google for Acrophylla cornuta, or search Google Scholar for Acrophylla cornuta.

Synonyms:

Cyphocrania cornuta Tepper, 1905

body	172 mm.
head	10 mm. width, 7 mm.
pronotum	8 mm. width, 6.5 mm.
mesonotum	38 mm. width, 65 mm.
metanotum	15 mm. width, 8 mm.
abdomen	103 mm. width, 9 mm.
tegmina	22 mm. width, 6 mm.
wings	47 mm. width, 47 mm.
ant. femora	34 mm.
ant. tibiæ	33 mm.
ant. tarsi	11 mm.
med. femora	27 mm.
med. tibiæ	30 mm.
med. tarsi	8 mm.
post. femora	46 mm.
post. tibiæ	42 mm.
post. tarsi	10 mm.
antennæ	35 mm.