Unraveling the Sexual Dimorphism of First Instar Nymphs of the Giant Stick Insect, Cladomorphus phyllinus Gray, 1835, from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

The first instar nymphs, both male and female, of the giant stick insect Cladomorphus phyllinus Gray, 1835 were carefully described and measured, revealing a remarkable sexual dimorphism that is considered rare among insects and is poorly explored in the order Phasmida. The studied F1 nymphs originated in captivity from eggs laid by a coupled female specimen collected in the Atlantic Forest in the vicinity of Petrópolis city, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first instar nymphs of C. phyllinus were measured and illustrated in high-resolution photographs to show the general aspects and details of sexually dimorphic traits, making clear the phenotypic differences in the sexes. A total of 100 nymphs were kept alive until morphological sexual dimorphism was confirmed and quantified. All recently hatched first instar nymphs were separated based on the presumed male and female characteristics, i.e., the presence and absence of the suture in the metanotum in the males and females, respectively, had their sexes confirmed in 100% of the specimens as previously assigned. These results confirm this new morphological trait, which here is named "alar suture" as sex-specific in the first instar nymphs, a novelty in this stage of development of sexual differentiation. In addition, the distinct conformations of the last three abdominal sternites of both sexes were recorded.

On seven undescribed leaf insect species revealed within the recent "Tree of Leaves" (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

With the recent advance in molecular phylogenetics focused on the leaf insects (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae), gaps in knowledge are beginning to be filled. Yet, shortcomings are also being highlighted, for instance, the unveiling of numerous undescribed phylliid species. Here, some of these taxa are described, including Phylliumiyadaonsp. nov. from Mindoro Island, Philippines; Phylliumsamarensesp. nov. from Samar Island, Philippines; Phylliumortizisp. nov. from Mindanao Island, Philippines; Pulchriphylliumheraclessp. nov. from Vietnam; Pulchriphylliumdelisleisp. nov. from South Kalimantan, Indonesia; and Pulchriphylliumbhaskaraisp. nov. from Java, Indonesia. Several additional specimens of these species together with a seventh species described herein, Pulchriphylliumanangusp. nov. from southwestern India, were incorporated into a newly constructed phylogenetic tree. Additionally, two taxa that were originally described as species, but in recent decades have been treated as subspecies, are elevated back to species status to reflect their unique morphology and geographic isolation, creating the following new combinations: Pulchriphylliumscythe (Gray, 1843) stat. rev., comb. nov. from Bangladesh and northeastern India, and Pulchriphylliumcrurifolium (Audinet-Serville, 1838) stat. rev., comb. nov. from the Seychelles islands. Lectotype specimens are also designated for Pulchriphylliumscythe (Gray, 1843) stat. rev., comb. nov. and Pulchriphylliumcrurifolium (Audinet-Serville, 1838) stat. rev., comb. nov. from original type material.

Two new stick insect species of Sosibia Stål (Phasmatodea: Lonchodidae: Necrosciinae) from China and the first report on mitochondrial genomes of this genus.

We describe and illustrate two new species of Sosibia from China: Sosibia gibba sp. nov. and Sosibia ovata sp. nov. This report includes a key to Sosibia species from China and a description of the distribution area in China. The two mitochondrial genomes of these new Sosibia species were sequenced and annotated for the first time. The compositional biases, codon usage, nucleotide composition, and construct tRNA secondary structures of the two mitogenomes were analyzed. The phylogenetic relationships based on the mitogenomes using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods supported the monophyly of Necrosciinae and divided it into two distinct clades: A: (Sipyloidea + [Sosibia + Calvisia]); and B: (Neohirasea + Micadina).

Three new genera and one new species of leaf insect from Melanesia (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

With the first large-scale Phylliidae molecular phylogeny recently published adding a great deal of clarity to phylliid diversity, several of the rarer species which could not be included were methodically and morphologically reviewed. This review resulted in identification of numerous substantial morphological features that suggest there are Melanesian clades that create polyphyletic groups within the phylliids which should instead be taxonomically recognized as unique. These rarer Melanesia species have historically been considered to be southern representatives of the Pulchriphyllium Griffini, 1898 sensu lato. However, there are notable morphological differences between the Pulchriphyllium sensu stricto and the "schultzei" group. Therefore, two new genera are erected, Vaabonbonphyllium gen. nov. from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea and Rakaphyllium gen. nov. from New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Erection of these two new genera warrants the following new combinations: Rakaphylliumschultzei (Giglio-Tos, 1912), comb. nov., Rakaphylliumexsectum (Zompro, 2001b), comb. nov., and Vaabonbonphylliumgroesseri (Zompro, 1998), comb. nov. Additionally, while reviewing material an undescribed Vaabonbonphyllium gen. nov. specimen was located and is herein described as Vaabonbonphylliumrafidahae gen. et sp. nov. from Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea. Additionally, a morphologically unique clade of several species recovered as sister to the Nanophyllium sensu stricto was recognized and their numerous unique morphological features and monophyly leads the authors to erect the new genus Acentetaphyllium gen. nov. which warrants the following new combinations: Acentetaphylliumbrevipenne (Größer, 1992), comb. nov., Acentetaphylliumlarssoni (Cumming, 2017), comb. nov., Acentetaphylliummiyashitai (Cumming et al. 2020), comb. nov., and Acentetaphylliumstellae (Cumming, 2016), comb. nov. With the addition of several new genera, a key to phylliid genera is included for adult males and females.

Resolving a century-old case of generic mistaken identity: polyphyly of Chitoniscus sensu lato resolved with the description of the endemic New Caledonia Trolicaphyllium gen. nov. (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

With every molecular review involving Chitoniscus Stål, 1875 sensu lato samples from Fiji and New Caledonia revealing polyphyly, the morphology from these two distinct clades was extensively reviewed. Morphological results agree with all previously published molecular studies and therefore Trolicaphyllium gen. nov. is erected to accommodate the former Chitoniscus sensu lato species restricted to New Caledonia, leaving the type species Chitoniscuslobiventris (Blanchard, 1853) and all other Fijian species within Chitoniscus sensu stricto. Erection of this new genus for the New Caledonian species warrants the following new combinations: Trolicaphylliumbrachysoma (Sharp, 1898), comb. nov., Trolicaphylliumerosus (Redtenbachher, 1906), comb. nov., and Trolicaphylliumsarrameaense (Größer, 2008a), comb. nov. Morphological details of the female, male, freshly hatched nymph, and egg are illustrated and discussed alongside the Chitoniscus sensu stricto in order to differentiate these two clades which have been mistaken as one for decades.

Studies on Ramulus ussurianus (Bey-Bienko, 1960) (Phasmida: Phasmatidae).

The phasmid genus Ramulus Saussure, 1862 belongs to the nominotypical tribe of subfamily Clitumninae of the Phasmatidae. This genus consists of 159 species distributed in India (21 species), Sri Lanka (6 species), Bhutan (1 species), Myanmar (6 species), Thailand (1 species), Vietnam (12 species), Malaysia (4 species from Peninsular part and Borneo), Indonesia (18 species from Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and Key islands), the Philippines (3 species), China including Taiwan (74 species), Japan (1 species), Korea (1 species), and Russia (1 species) (Brock et al., 2021). Three phasmid species have been described in the genus Baculum Saussure, 1861 from the Russian Far East, Korea and North-East China respectively (Bey-Bienko, 1960; Kwon et al., 1992; Chen He, 1994) and later transferred to the genus Ramulus (Otte Brock, 2005). As a result of detailed examination of the type specimens of Ramulus ussurianus (Bey-Bienko, 1960), additional material and descriptions of these species, it became clear that specimens from Russia, Korea and North-East China are conspecific.

Cryptophyllium, the hidden leaf insects - descriptions of a new leaf insect genus and thirteen species from the former celebicum species group (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

While the leaf insects (Phylliidae) are a well-supported group within Phasmatodea, the genus Phyllium Illiger, 1798 has repeatedly been recovered as paraphyletic. Here, the Phyllium (Phyllium) celebicum species group is reviewed and its distinctiveness from the remaining Phylliini genera and subgenera in a phylogenetic context based on morphological review and a phylogenetic analysis of three genes (nuclear gene 28S and mitochondrial genes COI and 16S) from most known and multiple undescribed species is shown. A new genus, Cryptophyllium gen. nov., is erected to partially accommodate the former members of the celebicum species group. Two species, Phyllium ericoriaiHennemann et al., 2009 and Phyllium bonifacioi Lit & Eusebio, 2014 morphologically and molecularly do not fall within this clade and are therefore left within Phyllium (Phyllium). The transfer of the remaining celebicum group members from Phyllium Illiger, 1798 to this new genus creates the following new combinations; Cryptophyllium athanysus (Westwood, 1859), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium celebicum (de Haan, 1842), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium chrisangi (Seow-Choen, 2017), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium drunganum (Yang, 1995), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium oyae (Cumming & Le Tirant, 2020), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium parum (Liu, 1993), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium rarum (Liu, 1993), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium tibetense (Liu, 1993), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium westwoodii (Wood-Mason, 1875), comb. nov.; Cryptophyllium yapicum (Cumming & Teemsma, 2018), comb. nov.; and Cryptophyllium yunnanense (Liu, 1993), comb. nov. The review of specimens belonging to this clade also revealed 13 undescribed species, which are described within as: Cryptophyllium animatum gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Quang Nam Province; Cryptophyllium bankoi gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Gia Lai, Quang Nam, and Dak Nong Provinces; Cryptophyllium bollensi gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Ninh Thuan Province; Cryptophyllium daparo gen. et sp. nov. from China: Yunnan Province; Cryptophyllium echidna gen. et sp. nov. from Indonesia: Wangi-wangi Island; Cryptophyllium faulkneri gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Quang Ngai and Lam Dong Provinces; Cryptophyllium icarus gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Lam Dong and Dak Lak Provinces; Cryptophyllium khmer gen. et sp. nov. from Cambodia: Koh Kong and Siem Reap Provinces; Cryptophyllium limogesi gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Lam Dong, Dak Lak, and Dak Nong Provinces; Cryptophyllium liyananae gen. et sp. nov. from China: Guangxi Province; Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Ninh Thuan Province; Cryptophyllium phami gen. et sp. nov. from Vietnam: Dong Nai and Ninh Thuan Provinces; and Cryptophyllium wennae gen. et sp. nov. from China: Yunnan Province. All newly described species are morphologically described, illustrated, and molecularly compared to congenerics. With the molecular results revealing cryptic taxa, it was found necessary for Cryptophyllium westwoodii (Wood-Mason, 1875), comb. nov. to have a neotype specimen designated to allow accurate differentiation from congenerics. To conclude, male and female dichotomous keys to species for the Cryptophyllium gen. nov. are presented.

Lost lovers linked at long last: elusive female Nanophyllium mystery solved after a century of being placed in a different genus (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

After successful laboratory rearing of both males and females from a single clutch of eggs, the genus Nanophyllium Redtenbacher, 1906 (described only from males) and the frondosum species group within Phyllium (Pulchriphyllium) Griffini, 1898 (described only from females) are found to be the opposite sexes of the same genus. This rearing observation finally elucidates the relationship of these two small body sized leaf insect groups which, for more than a century, have never been linked before. This paper synonymizes the frondosum species group with Nanophyllium Redtenbacher, 1906 in order to create a singular and clearly defined taxonomic group. Five species are transferred from the Phyllium (Pulchriphyllium) frondosum species group and create the following new combinations: Nanophyllium asekiense (Größer, 2002), comb. nov.; Nanophyllium chitoniscoides (Größer, 1992), comb. nov.; Nanophyllium frondosum (Redtenbacher, 1906), comb. nov.; Nanophyllium keyicum (Karny, 1914), comb. nov.; Nanophyllium suzukii (Größer, 2008), comb. nov. The only taxon from this species group not transferred from the frondosum species group to Nanophyllium is Phyllium (Pulchriphyllium) groesseri Zompro, 1998. Based on protibial exterior lobes, this species belongs in the schultzei species group as described in Hennemann et al. 2009 and is therefore excluded from further discussion here. The rearing of Nanophyllium also yielded the male Nanophyllium asekiense (Größer, 2002), comb. nov. thus, enabling comparison of this male to the other previously known Nanophyllium species. Two new species of nano-leaf insects are described within, Nanophyllium miyashitai sp. nov., from Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, and Nanophyllium daphne sp. nov., from Biak Island, Papua Province, Indonesia. With such distinct sexual dimorphism in Nanophyllium between sexes, which have only now been matched up via captive rearing, illustrated within are numerous specimens which might represent the unknown opposite sexes of the many currently known species of Nanophyllium. Due to pronounced sexual dimorphism in Nanophyllium, only future captive rearing or molecular analysis will match up the many unknown sexes. To conclude, with the description of two new Nanophyllium species, dichotomous keys to species for known males and females are presented.

Walaphyllium subgen. nov., the dancing leaf insects from Australia and Papua New Guinea with description of a new species (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

A new subgenus, Walaphyllium subgen. nov., is described within Phyllium Illiger, 1798 to accommodate three leaf insect species. One of the species included is newly described herein as Phyllium (Walaphyllium) lelantossp. nov. from Papua New Guinea. This new subgenus of Phyllium can be diagnosed by a following combination of features. This new species is compared to the two additional new subgenus members, Phyllium zomproi Größer, 2001 and Phyllium monteithi Brock & Hasenpusch, 2003. Also for the first time the male morphology of Phyllium zomproi is described and illustrated. To conclude, a brief biogeographical view of the leaf insects on either side of the Torres Strait is presented, as well as a key to species and a distribution map to the known species of Phyllium (Walaphyllium)subgen. nov.

A new species of the genus Parapachymorpha Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893 (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) from Laos.

Parapachymorpha is one of eight genera within the tribe Medaurini of subfamily Clitumninae (Phasmatidae). It was established by Brunner von Wattenwyl (1893), with the type species Parapachymorpha nigra by subsequent designation of Kirby (1904), from Myanmar. Species of this genus are widely distributed in oriental tropics (Laos, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia), with only 11 known species in the world (Brock et al. 2018, Ho 2017). Species of the genus Parapachymorpha can be recognized by following characters (Brunner von Wattenwyl 1893;1907, Henmemann Conle 2008, Ho 2017): 1) body robust in female and slender in male with long leg in relation to the length; 2) body surface of female granulose or spinose; 3) mesonotum of female more and less expanded posteriorly; 4) abdominal tergites lacking expanded prostero-lateral angles in both sexes; 5) laminal supraanalis undeveloped in female; 6) semi-tergite of male irregularly rectangular, with an additional finger--like ventro-apical appendix on the lower margin and reduced or absent; 7) egg capsule oval to oblong and covered with a raised net-like structure in lateral view; 8) micropylar plate oval; 9) operculum concave or convex. In the present study, we describe additional species, Parapachymorpha minuta sp. nov. from Laos, with photographs of both sexes of adults and egg.

Bionomic notes on parthenogenetic females and a record of parasitism by Forcipomyia Meigen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the stick insect Cladoxerus cryphaleus (Westwood) (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae)

ABSTRACT Stick insects (Phasmatodea) are among the least studied insect groups in Brazil. Although in recent years there has been an increase in the number of published studies on taxonomy and morphology of Brazilian stick insects, they remain very little-known concerning biological and bionomic aspects. From five females of Cladoxerus cryphaleus (Phasmatidae: Cladomorphinae) collected in the Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil, a captive colony of parthenogenetic females was started, based on which data on longevity, fertility, and viability of eggs of this species were recorded for the first time. After imaginal molting, the 21 females studied had an average longevity of 103.7 days. Each female produced on average 125.3 eggs, which had a hatching rate of 34.2%. In addition, we recorded a C. cryphaleus male nymph being parasitized by a biting midge of the subgenus Forcipomyia (Microhelea) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). The male, in pre-imaginal instar and already parasitized, was collected in the municipality of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro.

Mantodea, Blattodea, Orthoptera, Dermaptera, and Phasmida of Canada.

In the last 40 years, the number of species in the orthopteroid orders has increased by ~10% from that known in 1979. The largest order, the Orthoptera, has increased from 205 to 235 species known in Canada. The number of Blattodea has increased from 14 to 18 species, while Dermaptera has increased from 5 to 6 species. The number of species of Mantodea (3) and Phasmida (1) known in Canada have remained unchanged. Most new species records reported in Canada since 1979 have resulted from new collections along the periphery of the range of more widespread species. Some species reported since 1979 are recent introductions to Canada, including species restricted to homes or other heated buildings. The taxonomy of these orders has also changed, with only the Dermaptera having maintained its order definition since the 1979 treatment. Additional orthopteroid species are likely to occur in Canada, particularly in the orders Orthoptera and Blattodea. DNA barcodes are available for more than 60% of the species known to occur in Canada.

Addendum to "Leaf insects from Luzon, Philippines, with descriptions of four new species, the new genus Pseudomicrophyllium, and redescription of Phyllium (Phyllium) geryon Gray, 1843, (Phasmida: Phylliidae)".

At the time Cumming et al. (2017) was published, the GenBank accession numbers for partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA barcode sequences from Microphyllium specimens sampled in the phylogenetic analysis were not yet available. This information is provided in Table 1.

Paxiximyia sulmatogrossensis, a new genus and species of Tachinidae (Diptera) reared from Urucumania borellii () (Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae) collected in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT A new genus and species of Tachinidae (Diptera), Paxiximyia sulmatogrossensis n. gen. and n. sp. , and its puparium are described. It was reared from the walking stick, Urucumania borellii (Giglio-Tos, 1897), collected in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Studies on Brazilian Pseudophasmatidae (Phasmatodea) with the description of a new species of Agrostia Redtenbacher and new records for Metriophasma Uvarov and Parastratocles Redtenbacher

ABSTRACT Pseudophasmatidae currently includes 65 species recorded from Brazil. In this paper, we increase this number to 68 species by describing Agrostia flavimaculata sp. nov., based on male and female specimens from Acre and Amazonas states. Furthermore, Parastratocles multilineatus (Rehn) and Metriophasma (Metriophasma) diocles (Westwood) are recorded for the first time from Brazil based on specimens from Rondônia, Acre and Amazonas states. A key to species of Agrostia is also given.

A second new species of Nanophyllium Redtenbacher, 1906 from the northern coast of New Guinea (Phasmida, Phylliidae).

A new species of leaf insect, Nanophyllium larssoni n. sp. is described and illustrated bringing the known species in the genus to a total of six. Like all species of Nanophyllium Redtenbacher, 1906, the new species is named from a single male specimen, which is deposited in the San Diego Natural History Museum. With this newly identified species, two clear species-groups emerge and are described, in detail, in the species key. Measurements of anatomical figures were made to the nearest 0.1 mm.

Obligatory parthenogenesis and TE load: Bacillus stick insects and the R2 non-LTR retrotransposon.

Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish genetic elements whose self-replication is contrasted by the host genome. In this context, host reproductive strategies are predicted to impact on both TEs load and activity. The presence and insertion distribution of the non-LTR retrotransposon R2 was here studied in populations of the strictly bisexual Bacillus grandii maretimi and of the obligatory parthenogenetic Bacillus atticus atticus. Furthermore, data were also obtained from the offspring of selected B. a. atticus females. At the population level, the gonochoric B. g. maretimi showed a significantly higher R2 load than the obligatory parthenogenetic B. a. atticus. The comparison with bisexual and unisexual Bacillus rossius populations showed that their values were higher than those recorded for B. a. atticus and similar, or even higher, than those of B. g. maretimi. Consistently, an R2 load reduction is scored in B. a. atticus offspring even if with a great variance. On the whole, data here produced indicate that in the obligatory unisexual B. a. atticus R2 is active and that mechanisms of molecular turnover are effective. Furthermore, progeny analyses show that, at variance of the facultative parthenogenetic B. rossius, the R2 activity is held at a lower rate. Modeling parental-offspring inheritance, suggests that in B. a. atticus recombination plays a major role in eliminating insertions rather than selection, as previously suggested for unisexual B. rossius progeny, even if in both cases a high variance is observed. In addition to this, mechanisms of R2 silencing or chances of clonal selection cannot be ruled out.

An online taxonomic database of the stick insect (Phasmida) egg-parasitising subfamilies Amiseginae and Loboscelidiinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae).

BACKGROUND: The wasp subfamilies Amiseginae and Loboscelidiinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) were last catalogued in Kimsey and Bohart (1991). The subfamilies are considered to be obligate egg parasitoids of the Phasmida (stick insects), which are known to be pests in many areas of the world (Baker 2015). Our lack of knowledge of these wasps, in particular their host associations and host specificity, prevents studies into using them as potential control agents for pest phasmids. Phasmids are popular throughout the world with people from a wide range of backgrounds, from pet keepers to professional entomologists. NEW INFORMATION: A taxonomic database of the subfamilies Amiseginae and Loboscelidiinae has been created as the Chrysididae SpeciesFile, summarising the current state of scientific knowledge about these groups. In addition, a bibliography of works on these subfamilies has been created. In total information is provided for 187 valid species.

Stick insects (Phasmida) as prey of spiders: size, palatability and defence mechanisms in feeding tests.

The maximum body length of the phasmid Carausius morosus which the ctenid spider Cupiennius salei can overwhelm is 2-3x larger than the length of crickets. Eight phasmid species were offered to Cupiennius salei in feeding tests. Among them, Carausius morosus was raised on 4 different food plants. All species of prey items were accepted by the spider predator very readily (>80%). This indicates that phasmids are a highly palatable prey group for spiders. The possible importance of chemical defence and its obvious lack under laboratory conditions are discussed.