Family PHASMATIDAE Leach, 1815

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Family PHASMATIDAE Leach, 1815

Compiler and date details

John Balderson, D.C.F. Rentz & A.M.E. Roach CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

PHASMATIDAE Leach, W.E. 1815. Entomology. pp. 57-172 in Brewster (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Edinburgh : William Blackburn Vol. 9(1) 764 pp. [reprint 1830].

Introduction

The Australian fauna is represented by six subfamilies (Brock & Hasenpusch 2009). Brock and Hasenpusch (2009) outline the features of each subfamily and give summaries of biology and distribution of all species.

Key (1957, 1960) discussed the taxonomy and microstructure of injurious Australian species.

The Tropidoderinae have an Australia-wide distribution with long-winged species resembling leaves, not twigs. Podacanthus has a regularly spined mesonotum, long cerci and fully-winged females with two species that can be of economic concern. Extatosoma tiaratum (Macleay) is one of the most spectacular of Australian stick insects. Its nymphs are aposematic and resemble ants. The adults are easily bred and, among at least four other Australian species, are a popular pet in Britain and Europe. Notes on the biology of both Podacanthus and Tropidoderus were provided by Bedford (1968).

The Phasmatinae are large (up to 240 mm in length), long-winged and typically stick-like. The Phasmatinae have an Australia-wide distribution. The longest Australian stick insect, Acrophylla titan Macleay, of the east coast, is a member of this subfamily. A similarly large but much heavier insect is Eurycnema goliath (Gray). Both of these insects vie for honours as Australia's largest insects. Notes on the foods, life expectancy and egg production of E. goliath were provided by Bedford (1968). Brock (1994) reported that an Acrophylla titan female in captivity laid 2,050 eggs, a record number of eggs for any stick insect.

The Eurycanthinae are a group of robust, dark brown, wingless species mainly Papuan in distribution. They have greatly thickened hind femora with heavy spines beneath. Native peoples have used the hind femora as fish hooks. All Australian representatives occur on islands; none is known from the mainland.

The biology and defensive behaviour of Eurycantha sp. was studied by Bedford (1975). Popular reports suggest that the Lord Howe stick insect had a very similar behaviour.

The Platycraninae are represented in Australia by two monotypic genera (Brock & Hasenpusch 2009). Species in the genus have been recorded from many Pacific islands, living only on Pandanus tectorius Parkinson. One population in north-eastern Australia seems to be wholly parthenogenetic while males are known from other populations of what appears to be the same species. Individuals live in the midribs of the Pandanus leaves and they have a peculiar manner of locomotion where the fore and middle legs are used and the hind ones not. When interrupted during the day, an individual scuttles towards the centre of the plant. If further threatened, they can squirt a milky white substance at the intruder. Franzman (1974) recorded the behaviour of the species and its occurrence in Queensland.

The Xeroderinae are a Melanesian and Papuan group. The subfamily is represented in Australia by one species.

The Pachymorphinae are a large subfamily of robust grey, small, stout-bodied, wingless species that are usually found on the ground or low on tree trunks. One species is found at moderately high elevations in the Kosciusko Massif.

The Lonchodinae are a large South-East Asian, New Guinean and Australian assemblage of wingless species. They occur on herbaceous vegetation and grasses. Very slender species can be found in tall tropical grasses.