Sipyloidea whitei 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 : 39-42

Sipyloidea whitei Brock & Hasenpusch , spec. nov. [White’s Winged Stick-insect]

( Figs. 69–75 )

Description

Male (holotype) ( Figs. 69–73 ): Slender, dark brown insect; body, legs and antennae indistinctly mottled. Bold black central longitudinal line runs whole length of body. Body length 56 mm.

Head: About as wide as long, eyes moderate size. Apart from the narrow, bold black central longitudinal line, lines run between eyes to back of head, inner line narrow, laterally a broader black band. Antennae with c. 46 indistinct segments.

Thorax: Pronotum longer than head, with central indentation. Mesonotum four times length of pronotum, sparsely granulated. Metanotum less than three times length of mesonotum.

Wings: Fore wings large. Hind wings whitish brown, reaching almost end of 6 th abdominal segment; preanal part same as body colour, with several darker flecks.

Abdomen: End of anal segment subtruncate, subgenital plate reaching end of 9 th abdominal segment. Cerci slender, of moderate length, rounded at tip.

Legs: Moderately long, about reaching end of abdomen.

Paratype males (19).

Same as holotype except for size differences (body length 44–64 mm), rather unusually, two specimens longer than the shortest females.

Paratype females (4) ( Figs. 74–75 ).

About the same size or slightly longer, similar to the male, except much broader, one specimen paler, wings relatively short, only reaching about half length of 5 th abdominal segment. Operculum tapered to tip, reaching beyond end of 9 th abdominal segment. Cerci fairly short. Body length 61–68 mm.

Holotype ♂, South Australia: 33°52ʹS; 136°40ʹE ( GPS), 7 km NE. by E. of Arno Bay , 7.ii.1978, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 14 ( ANIC) . Paratypes (all Australia): ♂, New South Wales, 9 mi. WNW. of Monia Gap , 2.ii.1964, M.J.D. White , ♀, New South Wales, 3 mi. E. of Roto , 9.iii.1962, M.J.D. White & J.S. Turner , ♂, South Australia, Lowan Stn., 4 ml. S. of Sherlock , 22.v.1953, L.J. Chinnick , ♂, Western Australia, Kojonup , iv.1965, A. L. Rogers , ♂, Western Australia, Coonaana Hill, Nr. Coonana , 28.i.1974, M.J.D. White (all ANIC) , ♂, Western Australia, 10 km. NE of Menzies , 14.i.1989, M.S. & B.J. Moulds, K195626 , ♂, Western Australia, Lake Douglas , 12 km. SW of Kalgoorlie, 20.ii.1991, M.S. & B.J. Moulds, K195627 (both AMSA) , ♂, ♀, South Australia, Purnong, N. Murray R., 28.iii.[19]12, S.W. Fulton , ♀, Victoria, iii.1962 , 4♂, 35°25ʹS; 141°09ʹE, Victoria, 16.8 km. SSW. Of Murrayville , 17.iii.1987, G. Milledge (all MVMA) , 3♂, [South Australia], Murray R., H.S. Cope , 4♂, ♀, [South Australia], Mindarie , ♂, [South Australia], Rocky Pines (all SAMA)

Distribution

Although only known from several localities (see type series above), this species appears to be fairly widespread in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

Notes

Easily distinguished by the dark males and broader, short-winged females, both with a black longitudinal stripe from head to end of abdomen. In ANIC, listed as Sipyloidea sp. 3 .

Derivation of name

Named after the late Michael J.D. White, who collected part of the type series and studied population cytogenetics of Australian Sipyloidea species , albeit never completed this work ( John et al, 1987).

*Full measurements only available for 68 mm female

Figures

FIGURE 69. Sipyloidea whitei holotype male (ANIC), 56 mm.

FIGURES 70–73. Sipyloidea whitei holotype male. 70. head and thorax. 71. end of abdomen, dorsal view. 72. end of abdomen, lateral view. 73. end of abdomen, ventral view.

FIGURE 74. Sipyloidea whitei female paratype (MVMA) 61 mm.