Jump to content

Heteropteryx: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Add: date. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | #UCB_toolbar
m ref fix
 
(10 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Species of stick insect}}
{{Short description|Monotypic genus of stick insect}}
{{Speciesbox
{{Speciesbox
| image = Heteropteryx dilatata 0003b L.D.jpg
| image = Heteropteryx dilatata 0003b L.D.jpg
Line 18: Line 18:
[[File:Heteropteryx dilatata - threatening male.JPG|thumb|Threatening male of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'']]
[[File:Heteropteryx dilatata - threatening male.JPG|thumb|Threatening male of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'']]


'''''Heteropteryx''''' is a [[monotypic genus]] of [[Phasmatodea|stick insects]] containing '''''Heteropteryx dilatata''''' as the only described species.<ref>[[John Parkinson (entomologist)|Parkinson, J.]] (1798) ''Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond.'' 4(1): 190.</ref><ref>[[George Robert Gray|Gray, G.R.]] (1835) ''Synopsis of the species of insects belonging to the family of Phasmidae'' 13, 32.</ref> and gives its name to the [[family (biology)|family]] of the [[Heteropterygidae]]. Their only species may be known as '''jungle nymph''', '''Malaysian stick insect''', '''Malaysian wood nymph''', '''Malayan jungle nymph''', or '''Malayan wood nymph''' and because of their size it is commonly kept in zoological institutions and private terrariums of insect lovers. It originates in [[Malay Archipelago]], more precisely on the [[Malay Peninsula]] and [[Borneo]] and is [[nocturnal]].
'''''Heteropteryx''''' is a [[monotypic genus]] of [[Phasmatodea|stick insects]] containing '''''Heteropteryx dilatata''''' as the only described species.<ref>[[John Parkinson (entomologist)|Parkinson, J.]] (1798) ''Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond.'' 4(1): 190.</ref><ref>[[George Robert Gray|Gray, G.R.]] (1835) ''Synopsis of the species of insects belonging to the family of Phasmidae'' 13, 32.</ref> and gives its name to the [[family (biology)|family]] of the [[Heteropterygidae]]. Their only species may be known as '''jungle nymph''', '''Malaysian stick insect''', '''Malaysian wood nymph''', '''Malayan jungle nymph''', or '''Malayan wood nymph''' and because of their size it is commonly kept in zoological institutions and private terrariums of insect lovers. It originates from the [[Malay Archipelago]] and is [[nocturnal]].


== Description ==
== Description ==
The females are much larger and wider than the males and reach {{convert|14|cm|in}} to {{convert|17|cm|in}} length<ref name="google" /> and with 30 to 65&nbsp;g are probably among the heaviest [[Phasmatodea|phasmids]] or insects ever.<ref name="Phasmatodea"/> In addition to the typically lime green-colored females, there are also yellow and even more rarely red-brown females. Their two pairs of wings are both shortened. At rest, the green forewings, formed as [[tegmina]], cover the somewhat shorter, strikingly pink-colored membranous hind wings, here formed as alae, however they are incapable of flight. The head, body and legs are thorny. The flattened body is provided with a number of spines in particular along the body edges including the [[Abdomen (insect anatomy)|abdomen]] and the legs, especially along the hind legs. At the end of the abdomen there is a secondary [[ovipositor]] for laying the eggs in the ground. It surrounds the actual ovipositor and is [[ventral]] formed from the eighth [[sternite]], here named subgenital plate<ref name = "Stabschrecken" /> or [[Operculum (animal)|operculum]] and [[Dorsal (anatomy)|dorsally]] from the eleventh [[tergum]], which is referred to here as the supraanal plate or [[epiproct]].<ref name = "Phasmiden" />
The females are much larger and wider than the males, reaching {{convert|14|cm|in}} to {{convert|17|cm|in}} in length<ref name="google" /> and 30 to 65&nbsp;g in weight, making them among the heaviest [[Phasmatodea|phasmids]] and extant insects.<ref name="Phasmatodea"/> In addition to the typically lime green-colored females, there are also yellow and even more rarely red-brown females. Their two pairs of wings are both shortened. At rest, the green forewings, formed as [[Tegmen|tegmina]], cover the somewhat shorter, strikingly pink-colored membranous hind wings, here formed as alae, however they are incapable of flight. The head, body and legs are thorny. The flattened body is provided with a number of spines, in particular along the body edges including the [[Abdomen (insect anatomy)|abdomen]] and the legs, and especially along the hind legs. At the end of the abdomen there is a secondary [[ovipositor]] for laying the eggs in the ground. It surrounds the actual ovipositor and is [[ventral]] formed from the eighth [[sternite]], here named subgenital plate<ref name = "Stabschrecken" /> or [[Operculum (animal)|operculum]] and [[Dorsal (anatomy)|dorsally]] from the eleventh [[tergum]], which is referred to here as the supraanal plate or [[epiproct]].<ref name = "Phasmiden" />


The much smaller males are slender and only about {{convert|9|cm|in}} to {{convert|13|cm|in}} long. They have spines all over the body and legs too and usually a mottled brown colour. The hind wings cover the entire abdomen. The narrow, but only slightly shorter forewings are designed as [[tegmina]] to and have a light front edge, which gives the animals with closed wings the typical lateral stripes over the [[mesonotum]] and half of the abdomen. The fully developed hind wings are reddish and marked with a brown net pattern.<ref name = "Phasmiden" />
The much smaller males are slender and only about {{convert|9|cm|in}} to {{convert|13|cm|in}} long. They have spines all over their body and legs like the females, and are usually a mottled brown colour. The hind wings cover the entire abdomen. The narrow, but only slightly shorter forewings are designed as tegmina to and have a light front edge, which gives the animals with closed wings the typical lateral stripes over the [[mesonotum]] and half of the abdomen. The fully developed hind wings are reddish and marked with a brown net pattern.<ref name = "Phasmiden" />


== Distribution area and way of life ==
== Distribution area and lifestyle ==
''Heteropteryx dilatata'' comes from the Malay Archipelago. There it was found on the Malay Peninsula, in [[Thailand]], [[Singapore]], as well as on [[Sumatra]] and in [[Sarawak]] on [[Borneo]]. It is unclear whether the animals documented on [[Madagascar]] are naturally occurring there [[population]].<ref name = "Phasmida Species File Online" /><br>
''Heteropteryx dilatata'' comes from the Malay Archipelago. There it was found on the Malay Peninsula, in [[Thailand]], [[Singapore]], as well as on [[Sumatra]] and in [[Sarawak]] on [[Borneo]]. It is unclear whether the animals documented on [[Madagascar]] belong to an indigenous [[population]].<ref name = "Phasmida Species File Online" />


Both sexes are capable of [[stridulation|defensive stridulation]] when there is danger. The colored rear wings are jerked open again and again. In addition, the animals then threaten, similar to the representatives of the closely related genus ''[[Haaniella]]'', with raised abdomen and the attacker stretched, splayed hind legs.<ref name = "Phasmiden" /> Upon contact, the legs snap together as a scissor-like weapon. In case of contact, the [[insect leg#tibia|tibiae]] of the hind legs are then quickly struck against the [[insect leg#tibia|femura]], which ensures an effective defense through the thorns, in particular of the tibiae.<ref name="Phasmiden" /><ref name="Heteropterygidae" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://phasmid-study-group.org/taxonomy/term/5812|title=SpeciesFile 28/09/2009 - Phasmid Study Group|website=phasmid-study-group.org}}</ref>
Both sexes are capable of [[stridulation|defensive stridulation]] when there is danger. The colored rear wings are jerked open again and again. In addition, the animals then threaten, similar to the representatives of the closely related genus ''[[Haaniella]]'', with raised abdomen and the attacker stretched, splayed hind legs.<ref name = "Phasmiden" /> Upon contact, the legs snap together as a scissor-like weapon. When touched, the [[insect leg#tibia|tibiae]] of the hind legs are then quickly struck against the [[insect leg#tibia|femura]], which creates an effective defense through its spines, in particular those on the tibiae.<ref name="Phasmiden" /><ref name="Heteropterygidae" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://phasmid-study-group.org/taxonomy/term/5812|title=SpeciesFile 28/09/2009 - Phasmid Study Group|website=phasmid-study-group.org}}</ref>


==Reproduction==
==Reproduction==
Line 43: Line 43:
|2={{clade
|2={{clade
|1=''Heteropteryx'' sp. 'Khao Lak'
|1=''Heteropteryx'' sp. 'Khao Lak'
|2=''Heteropteryx dilatata''<br> = ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' 'Kuala Boh'
|2=''Heteropteryx dilatata''<br />= ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' 'Kuala Boh'
}}
}}
}}
}}
Line 53: Line 53:
}}
}}
[[File:Both Heteropteryx species - females.jpg|thumb|Left adult ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' female from Kuala Boh, right female L5 nymph of the undescribed species with black coxes from Khao Lak]]
[[File:Both Heteropteryx species - females.jpg|thumb|Left adult ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' female from Kuala Boh, right female L5 nymph of the undescribed species with black coxes from Khao Lak]]
Even if some publications can be found in which one can read that ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' holds the record for the largest egg laid by an insect and the eggs are sometimes given as {{convert|1.3|cm|in}} in length,<ref>''Guinness World Records 2013'', Page 050, Hardcover Edition. {{ISBN|9781904994879}}</ref> both claims are wrong. The heaviest eggs with 250 to 300&nbsp;mg lay the closely related ''[[Haaniella echinata]]''. These are up to {{convert|1.2|cm|in}} long and about {{convert|0.8|cm|in}} wide. The females of ''[[Asceles malaccae]]'', which are just under {{convert|10|cm|in}} long, lay eggs that are up to {{convert|1.5|cm|in}} long, but only about {{convert|0.2|cm|in}} in diameter. The eggs of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' are {{convert|0.7|cm|in}} to {{convert|0.8|cm|in}} long, {{convert|0.5|cm|in}} wide and about 70&nbsp;mg heavy. The females lay these individually in the ground with their ovipositor. After about 7 to 14 months the [[Nymph (biology)|nymphs]] hatch. These are able to change their lighter color during the day to a darker one at night and form sleeping communities up to the fourth larval stage, in which the insects clump or chain to one another on the food plants. The nymphs are generally beige in color when they hatch. While the color of the males becomes a little darker with each moult, that of the females changes from beige to green after the third moult. About a year after hatching, the [[molting]] to [[imago]] takes place, which is the fifth molting in the males and the sixth molting in the females.<ref name="Exotische Insekten"/> The imago then live for about 6 to 24 months.<ref name = "Phasmiden" /><ref name="wiley">{{cite journal| doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1991.tb03460.x|volume=30|journal=International Zoo Yearbook|pages=21–30|title=The display, culture and conservation of invertebrates at London Zoo|year = 2007|last1 = Pearce-Kelly|first1 = P.|last2=Clarke|first2=D.|last3=Robertson|first3=M.|last4=Andrews|first4=C.}}</ref> As with many other phasmid species, [[Gynander]] also occasionally occur in ''Heteropteryx dilatata''. These are often designed as half-sided hermaphrodites.
It is a common misconception that ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' holds the record for the largest egg laid by an insect, with the eggs sometimes described as being {{convert|1.3|cm|in}} in length.<ref>''Guinness World Records 2013'', Page 050, Hardcover Edition. {{ISBN|9781904994879}}</ref> The heaviest eggs are 250 to 300&nbsp;mg laid by the closely related ''[[Haaniella echinata]]''. These are up to {{convert|1.2|cm|in}} long and about {{convert|0.8|cm|in}} wide. The females of ''[[Asceles malaccae]]'', which are just under {{convert|10|cm|in}} long, lay eggs that are up to {{convert|1.5|cm|in}} long, but only about {{convert|0.2|cm|in}} in diameter. The eggs of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' are {{convert|0.7|cm|in}} to {{convert|0.8|cm|in}} long, {{convert|0.5|cm|in}} wide and about 70&nbsp;mg in weight. The females lay these individually in the ground with their ovipositor. After about 7 to 14 months the [[Nymph (biology)|nymphs]] hatch. These are able to change their lighter color during the day to a darker one at night and form sleeping communities up to the fourth larval stage, in which the insects clump or chain to one another on the food plants. The nymphs are generally beige in color when they hatch. While the color of the males becomes a little darker with each moult, the females change from beige to green after the third moult. About a year after hatching, the [[molting]] to [[imago]] takes place, which is the fifth molting in the males and the sixth molting in the females.<ref name="Exotische Insekten"/> The imago then live for about 6 to 24 months.<ref name = "Phasmiden" /><ref name="wiley">{{cite journal| doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1991.tb03460.x|volume=30|journal=International Zoo Yearbook|pages=21–30|title=The display, culture and conservation of invertebrates at London Zoo|year = 2007|last1 = Pearce-Kelly|first1 = P.|last2=Clarke|first2=D.|last3=Robertson|first3=M.|last4=Andrews|first4=C.}}</ref> As with many other phasmid species, [[Gynander]] also occasionally occur in ''Heteropteryx dilatata''. These are often designed as half-sided hermaphrodites.


== Taxonomy ==
== Taxonomy ==
''Heteropteryx dilatata'' is the only described representative of the genus ''Heteropteryx'' established by [[George Robert Gray]] in 1835 and was described in 1798 by [[John Parkinson (zoologist)|John Parkinson]] as ''Phasma dilatatum''. The [[holotype]] is a female deposited in the collection of the [[Macleay Museum]] of the [[University of Sydney]]. All other species described in the genus ''Heteropteryx'', like ''[[Haaniella dehaanii|Heteropteryx dehaanii]]'', ''[[Haaniella echinata|Heteropteryx echinata]]'', ''[[Haaniella erringtoniae|Heteropteryx erringtoniae]]'', ''[[Haaniella grayii|Heteropteryx grayii]]'', ''[[Haaniella muelleri|Heteropteryx muelleri]]'', ''[[Haaniella rosenbergii|Heteropteryx rosenbergii]]'' and ''[[Haaniella scabra|Heteropteryx scabra]]'' are assigned to ''Haaniella'', or have turned out to be [[synonym (taxonomy)|synonyms]] of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' like ''Heteropteryx castelnaudi'', ''Heteropteryx hopei'' and ''Heteropteryx rollandi''. The generic name ''Leocrates'' introduced by [[Carl Stål]] in 1875 for ''Leocrates graciosa'' and used for ''[[Haaniella glaber|Leocrates glaber]]'' and ''[[Haaniella mecheli|Leocrates mecheli]]'' by [[Josef Redtenbacher (entomologist)|Josef Redtenbacher]] 1906<ref name="Redtenbacher 1906" /> is synonymous with ''Heteropteryx''. The two species described by Redtenbacher have been valid species of the genus ''Haaniella'' again since 2016.<ref name = "Phasmida Species File Online" /><ref name="Heteropteryginae Revision" /><br>
''Heteropteryx dilatata'' is the only described representative of the genus ''Heteropteryx'' established by [[George Robert Gray]] in 1835 and was described in 1798 by [[John Parkinson (zoologist)|John Parkinson]] as ''Phasma dilatatum''. The [[holotype]] is a female deposited in the collection of the [[Macleay Museum]] of the [[University of Sydney]]. All other species described in the genus ''Heteropteryx'', like ''[[Haaniella dehaanii|Heteropteryx dehaanii]]'', ''[[Haaniella echinata|Heteropteryx echinata]]'', ''[[Haaniella erringtoniae|Heteropteryx erringtoniae]]'', ''[[Haaniella grayii|Heteropteryx grayii]]'', ''[[Haaniella muelleri|Heteropteryx muelleri]]'', ''[[Haaniella rosenbergii|Heteropteryx rosenbergii]]'' and ''[[Haaniella scabra|Heteropteryx scabra]]'' are assigned to ''Haaniella'', or have turned out to be [[synonym (taxonomy)|synonyms]] of ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' like ''Heteropteryx castelnaudi'', ''Heteropteryx hopei'' and ''Heteropteryx rollandi''. The generic name ''Leocrates'' introduced by [[Carl Stål]] in 1875 for ''Leocrates graciosa'' and used for ''[[Haaniella glaber|Leocrates glaber]]'' and ''[[Haaniella mecheli|Leocrates mecheli]]'' by [[Josef Redtenbacher (entomologist)|Josef Redtenbacher]] 1906<ref name="Redtenbacher 1906" /> is synonymous with ''Heteropteryx''. The two species described by Redtenbacher have been valid species of the genus ''Haaniella'' again since 2016.<ref name = "Phasmida Species File Online" /><ref name="Heteropteryginae Revision" />


In their investigations based on [[genetic analysis]] to clarify the [[phylogeny]] of the Heteropterygidae, [[Sarah Bank]] [[et al]] showed that the representatives of the Heteropterigini form a common [[clade]], but the genus ''Heteropteryx'' phylogenetically is to be placed in the middle of several lines of species currently listed in ''Haaniella''. It could also be shown that in addition to the Malay '' Heteropteryx dilatata '' there is another species from the [[Thailand|Thai]] [[Phang Nga Province]], more precisely from the [[Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park]].<ref name = "Bank et al. 2021 "/>
In their investigations based on [[genetic analysis]] to clarify the [[phylogeny]] of the Heteropterygidae, [[Sarah Bank]] [[et al]] showed that the representatives of the Heteropterigini form a common [[clade]], but the genus ''Heteropteryx'' phylogenetically is to be placed in the middle of several lines of species currently listed in ''Haaniella''. It could also be shown that in addition to the Malay '' Heteropteryx dilatata '' there is another species from the [[Thailand|Thai]] [[Phang Nga Province]], more precisely from the [[Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park]].<ref name = "Bank et al. 2021 "/>


==Terraristic==
==Terraristic==
The species was founded in 1974 by C.C. Chua from the [[Cameron Highlands]] in [[Pahang]] near the border to [[Perak]] and imported several times from Perak to Europe by various traders in the 1980s. Other stocks have been introduced from this region in the recent past and are kept with their origin being named. One stock from Tapah Hills (also Perak near Pahang) and in 2015 another from Yoko Matsumura from Kuala Boh in Pahang were bred. A breeding stock imported from [[Phuket Province|Phuket]] in 1998, in which the females have black [[Arthropod coxa|coxae]], has been lost. The fact that this corresponds to the one used by Bank et al. the undescribed species identified in 2021 is considered likely, as the two sites are only about one hundred kilometers apart and the specimens examined by molecular genetics also have black coxes.<ref name = "Bank et al. 2021" /><ref name = "Phasmid Study Group List" /><ref name =" Phasmatodea stocks "/><br>
The species was founded in 1974 by C.C. Chua from the [[Cameron Highlands]] in [[Pahang]] near the border to [[Perak]] and imported several times from Perak to Europe by various traders in the 1980s. Other stocks have been introduced from this region in the recent past and are kept with their origin being named. One stock from Tapah Hills (also Perak near Pahang) and in 2015 another from Yoko Matsumura from Kuala Boh in Pahang were bred. A breeding stock imported from [[Phuket Province|Phuket]] in 1998, in which the females have black [[Arthropod coxa|coxae]], has been lost. The fact that this corresponds to the one used by Bank et al. the undescribed species identified in 2021 is considered likely, as the two sites are only about one hundred kilometers apart and the specimens examined by molecular genetics also have black coxes.<ref name = "Bank et al. 2021" /><ref name = "Phasmid Study Group List" /><ref name =" Phasmatodea stocks "/>


The size of the [[terrarium]] had to be adapted to the number of animals. For a couple, the terrarium should not be smaller than 40 × 40 × {{convert|40|cm|in}}. The feed branches with leaves can be placed in a narrow-necked vase so that they stay fresh longer. Among other leaves, those of [[bramble]] are eaten, such as [[blackberry]] and [[raspberry]], but also [[oak]], [[hazel]] and [[ivy]]. Temperatures between {{convert|20|C|F}} and {{convert|30|C|F}} and high humidity are required for keeping them. The latter is achieved by spraying the forage plants with water. In order to enable the females to lay their eggs, the ground should be covered several centimeters thick with substrate. Alternatively, an egg-laying vessel with substrate can be offered. ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' can live up to two years of age in captivity.<ref name="keepinginsects">{{cite web|url=http://www.keepinginsects.com/stick-insect/species/jungle-nymph/|title=Jungle Nymph - Heteropteryx dilatata &#124; Keeping Insects|date=6 March 2011|publisher=keepinginsects.com|accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>
The size of the [[terrarium]] had to be adapted to the number of animals. For a couple, the terrarium should not be smaller than 40 × 40 × {{convert|40|cm|in}}. The feed branches with leaves can be placed in a narrow-necked vase so that they stay fresh longer. Among other leaves, those of [[bramble]] are eaten, such as [[blackberry]] and [[raspberry]], but also [[oak]], [[hazel]] and [[ivy]]. Temperatures between {{convert|20|C|F}} and {{convert|30|C|F}} and high humidity are required for keeping them. The latter is achieved by spraying the forage plants with water. In order to enable the females to lay their eggs, the ground should be covered several centimeters thick with substrate. Alternatively, an egg-laying vessel with substrate can be offered. ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' can live up to two years of age in captivity.<ref name="keepinginsects">{{cite web|url=http://www.keepinginsects.com/stick-insect/species/jungle-nymph/|title=Jungle Nymph - Heteropteryx dilatata |work=Keeping Insects|date=6 March 2011 |accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 79: Line 79:
<references>
<references>


<ref name="Phasmatodea">[http://www.phasmatodea.com/curiosities Records at Phasmatodea.com] webside by [[Frank H. Hennemann|Hennemann, F. H.]], [[Oskar V. Conle|Conle, O. V.]], [[Bruno Kneubühler (entomologist)|Kneubühler, B.]] und Valero, P.</ref>
<ref name="Phasmatodea">[http://www.phasmatodea.com/curiosities Records at Phasmatodea.com] website by [[Frank H. Hennemann|Hennemann, F. H.]], [[Oskar V. Conle|Conle, O. V.]], [[Bruno Kneubühler (entomologist)|Kneubühler, B.]] und Valero, P.</ref>


<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Super-Size Bugs|author1=Davies, A.|author2=Siwanowicz, I.|date=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company Incorporated|isbn=9781402753404|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AeaCPz2gUQAC&pg=PA4|page=4|accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>
<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Super-Size Bugs|author1=Davies, A.|author2=Siwanowicz, I.|date=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company Incorporated|isbn=9781402753404|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AeaCPz2gUQAC&pg=PA4|page=4|accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>
Line 87: Line 87:
<ref name="Stabschrecken">[[Ingo Fritzsche|Fritzsche, I.]] (2007) ''Stabschrecken - Carausius, Sipyloidea & Co.'', Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, {{ISBN|978-3-937285-84-9}}</ref>
<ref name="Stabschrecken">[[Ingo Fritzsche|Fritzsche, I.]] (2007) ''Stabschrecken - Carausius, Sipyloidea & Co.'', Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, {{ISBN|978-3-937285-84-9}}</ref>


<ref name="Phasmida Species File Online">[[Paul D. Brock|Brock, P. D.]]; [[Thies H. Büscher|Büscher, T. H.]] & [[Edward W. Baker|Baker, E. W.]] ''[http://phasmida.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1200275 Phasmida Species File Online]''. Version 5.0. (abgerufen am 15. März 2021)</ref>
<ref name="Phasmida Species File Online">[[Paul D. Brock|Brock, P. D.]]; [[Thies H. Büscher|Büscher, T. H.]] & [[Edward W. Baker|Baker, E. W.]] ''[http://phasmida.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1200275 Phasmida Species File Online]''. Version 5.0. (retrieved 15 March 2021)</ref>


<ref name="Heteropteryginae Revision">Hennemann, F. H.; Conle, O. V.; Brock, P. D. & [[Francis Seow-Choen|Seow-Choen, F.]] (2016). ''Revision of the Oriental subfamiliy Heteropteryginae Kirby, 1896, with a re-arrangement of the family Heteropterygidae and the descriptions of five new species of Haaniella Kirby, 1904. (Phasmatodea: Areolatae: Heteropterygidae)'', Zootaxa 4159 (1), Magnolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand 2016, {{ISSN|1175-5326}}</ref>
<ref name="Heteropteryginae Revision">Hennemann, F. H.; Conle, O. V.; Brock, P. D. & [[Francis Seow-Choen|Seow-Choen, F.]] (2016). ''Revision of the Oriental subfamiliy Heteropteryginae Kirby, 1896, with a re-arrangement of the family Heteropterygidae and the descriptions of five new species of Haaniella Kirby, 1904. (Phasmatodea: Areolatae: Heteropterygidae)'', Zootaxa 4159 (1), Magnolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand 2016, {{ISSN|1175-5326}}</ref>


<ref name="Heteropterygidae"> [[Oliver Zompro|Zompro, O.]] (2000) ''Gespenstheuschrecken der Familie Heteropterygidae im Terrarium''. Reptilia - Terraristik Fachmagazin (Nr. 24, August/September 2000) Natur und Tier - Münster</ref>
<ref name="Heteropterygidae">[[Oliver Zompro|Zompro, O.]] (2000) ''Gespenstheuschrecken der Familie Heteropterygidae im Terrarium''. Reptilia - Terraristik Fachmagazin (Nr. 24, August/September 2000) Natur und Tier - Münster</ref>


<ref name="Bank et al. 2021">[[Sarah Bank|Bank, S.]]; Buckley, T. R.; [[Thies H. Büscher|Büscher, T. H.]]; [[Joachim Bresseel|Bresseel, J.]]; [[Jérôme Constant|Constant, J.]]; de Haan, M.; Dittmar, D.; Dräger, H.; Kahar, R. S.; Kang, A.; [[Bruno Kneubühler (entomologist)|Kneubühler, B.]]; Langton-Myers, S. & Bradler, S. (2021) ''[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/syen.12472 Reconstructing the nonadaptive radiation of an ancient lineage of ground-dwelling stick insects (Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae)]'', Systematic Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/syen.12472</ref>
<ref name="Bank et al. 2021">[[Sarah Bank|Bank, S.]]; Buckley, T. R.; [[Thies H. Büscher|Büscher, T. H.]]; [[Joachim Bresseel|Bresseel, J.]]; [[Jérôme Constant|Constant, J.]]; de Haan, M.; Dittmar, D.; Dräger, H.; Kahar, R. S.; Kang, A.; [[Bruno Kneubühler (entomologist)|Kneubühler, B.]]; Langton-Myers, S. & Bradler, S. (2021) ''[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/syen.12472 Reconstructing the nonadaptive radiation of an ancient lineage of ground-dwelling stick insects (Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae)]'', Systematic Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/syen.12472</ref>
Line 97: Line 97:
<ref name="Exotische Insekten">Löser, S. (1991) ''Exotische Insekten, Tausendfüßer und Spinnentiere - eine Anleitung zur Haltung und Zucht''. Ulmer, Stuttgart, {{ISBN|3-8001-7239-9}}</ref>
<ref name="Exotische Insekten">Löser, S. (1991) ''Exotische Insekten, Tausendfüßer und Spinnentiere - eine Anleitung zur Haltung und Zucht''. Ulmer, Stuttgart, {{ISBN|3-8001-7239-9}}</ref>


<ref name="Redtenbacher 1906">[[Josef Redtenbacher (entomologist)|Redtenbacher, J.]] (1906) ''[http://archive.org/details/DieInsektenfamilieDerPhasmidenVol.1 Die Insektenfamilie der Phasmiden. Vol. 1. Phasmidae Areolatae]''. Verlag Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 36–57 & 162–172</ref>
<ref name="Redtenbacher 1906">[[Josef Redtenbacher (entomologist)|Redtenbacher, J.]] (1906) ''[https://archive.org/details/DieInsektenfamilieDerPhasmidenVol.1 Die Insektenfamilie der Phasmiden. Vol. 1. Phasmidae Areolatae]''. Verlag Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 36–57 & 162–172</ref>


<ref name="Phasmid Study Group List">[http://phasmidstudygroup.org/phasmid-info/psg-culture-list/species-info?psg_no=18 Phasmid Study Group Culture List]</ref>
<ref name="Phasmid Study Group List">[http://phasmidstudygroup.org/phasmid-info/psg-culture-list/species-info?psg_no=18 Phasmid Study Group Culture List]</ref>

Latest revision as of 09:00, 3 August 2024

Heteropteryx
Female of Heteropteryx dilatata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Family: Heteropterygidae
Subfamily: Heteropteryginae
Tribe: Heteropterygini
Genus: Heteropteryx
Gray, G.R., 1835
Species:
H. dilatata
Binomial name
Heteropteryx dilatata
(Parkinson 1798)
Synonyms
  • Phasma (Eurycantha) graciosa Westwood, 1848
  • Heteropteryx castelnaudi Westwood, 1874
  • Heteropteryx hopei Westwood, 1874
  • Heteropteryx rollandi Lucas, 1882
  • Leocrates Stål, 1875
Yellow female of Heteropteryx dilatata
Threatening male of Heteropteryx dilatata

Heteropteryx is a monotypic genus of stick insects containing Heteropteryx dilatata as the only described species.[1][2] and gives its name to the family of the Heteropterygidae. Their only species may be known as jungle nymph, Malaysian stick insect, Malaysian wood nymph, Malayan jungle nymph, or Malayan wood nymph and because of their size it is commonly kept in zoological institutions and private terrariums of insect lovers. It originates from the Malay Archipelago and is nocturnal.

Description

[edit]

The females are much larger and wider than the males, reaching 14 centimetres (5.5 in) to 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length[3] and 30 to 65 g in weight, making them among the heaviest phasmids and extant insects.[4] In addition to the typically lime green-colored females, there are also yellow and even more rarely red-brown females. Their two pairs of wings are both shortened. At rest, the green forewings, formed as tegmina, cover the somewhat shorter, strikingly pink-colored membranous hind wings, here formed as alae, however they are incapable of flight. The head, body and legs are thorny. The flattened body is provided with a number of spines, in particular along the body edges including the abdomen and the legs, and especially along the hind legs. At the end of the abdomen there is a secondary ovipositor for laying the eggs in the ground. It surrounds the actual ovipositor and is ventral formed from the eighth sternite, here named subgenital plate[5] or operculum and dorsally from the eleventh tergum, which is referred to here as the supraanal plate or epiproct.[6]

The much smaller males are slender and only about 9 centimetres (3.5 in) to 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long. They have spines all over their body and legs like the females, and are usually a mottled brown colour. The hind wings cover the entire abdomen. The narrow, but only slightly shorter forewings are designed as tegmina to and have a light front edge, which gives the animals with closed wings the typical lateral stripes over the mesonotum and half of the abdomen. The fully developed hind wings are reddish and marked with a brown net pattern.[6]

Distribution area and lifestyle

[edit]

Heteropteryx dilatata comes from the Malay Archipelago. There it was found on the Malay Peninsula, in Thailand, Singapore, as well as on Sumatra and in Sarawak on Borneo. It is unclear whether the animals documented on Madagascar belong to an indigenous population.[7]

Both sexes are capable of defensive stridulation when there is danger. The colored rear wings are jerked open again and again. In addition, the animals then threaten, similar to the representatives of the closely related genus Haaniella, with raised abdomen and the attacker stretched, splayed hind legs.[6] Upon contact, the legs snap together as a scissor-like weapon. When touched, the tibiae of the hind legs are then quickly struck against the femura, which creates an effective defense through its spines, in particular those on the tibiae.[6][8][9]

Reproduction

[edit]
Gynandromorph

Haaniella saussurei

Haaniella spp.

Haaniella erringtoniae

Heteropteryx sp. 'Khao Lak'

Heteropteryx dilatata
= Heteropteryx dilatata 'Kuala Boh'

Haaniella spp.

Position of the Heteropteryx representatives within the previously genetic analysis investigated Heteropteryginae species according to Sarah Bank et al. (2021)[10]
Left adult Heteropteryx dilatata female from Kuala Boh, right female L5 nymph of the undescribed species with black coxes from Khao Lak

It is a common misconception that Heteropteryx dilatata holds the record for the largest egg laid by an insect, with the eggs sometimes described as being 1.3 centimetres (0.51 in) in length.[11] The heaviest eggs are 250 to 300 mg laid by the closely related Haaniella echinata. These are up to 1.2 centimetres (0.47 in) long and about 0.8 centimetres (0.31 in) wide. The females of Asceles malaccae, which are just under 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long, lay eggs that are up to 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) long, but only about 0.2 centimetres (0.079 in) in diameter. The eggs of Heteropteryx dilatata are 0.7 centimetres (0.28 in) to 0.8 centimetres (0.31 in) long, 0.5 centimetres (0.20 in) wide and about 70 mg in weight. The females lay these individually in the ground with their ovipositor. After about 7 to 14 months the nymphs hatch. These are able to change their lighter color during the day to a darker one at night and form sleeping communities up to the fourth larval stage, in which the insects clump or chain to one another on the food plants. The nymphs are generally beige in color when they hatch. While the color of the males becomes a little darker with each moult, the females change from beige to green after the third moult. About a year after hatching, the molting to imago takes place, which is the fifth molting in the males and the sixth molting in the females.[12] The imago then live for about 6 to 24 months.[6][13] As with many other phasmid species, Gynander also occasionally occur in Heteropteryx dilatata. These are often designed as half-sided hermaphrodites.

Taxonomy

[edit]

Heteropteryx dilatata is the only described representative of the genus Heteropteryx established by George Robert Gray in 1835 and was described in 1798 by John Parkinson as Phasma dilatatum. The holotype is a female deposited in the collection of the Macleay Museum of the University of Sydney. All other species described in the genus Heteropteryx, like Heteropteryx dehaanii, Heteropteryx echinata, Heteropteryx erringtoniae, Heteropteryx grayii, Heteropteryx muelleri, Heteropteryx rosenbergii and Heteropteryx scabra are assigned to Haaniella, or have turned out to be synonyms of Heteropteryx dilatata like Heteropteryx castelnaudi, Heteropteryx hopei and Heteropteryx rollandi. The generic name Leocrates introduced by Carl Stål in 1875 for Leocrates graciosa and used for Leocrates glaber and Leocrates mecheli by Josef Redtenbacher 1906[14] is synonymous with Heteropteryx. The two species described by Redtenbacher have been valid species of the genus Haaniella again since 2016.[7][15]

In their investigations based on genetic analysis to clarify the phylogeny of the Heteropterygidae, Sarah Bank et al showed that the representatives of the Heteropterigini form a common clade, but the genus Heteropteryx phylogenetically is to be placed in the middle of several lines of species currently listed in Haaniella. It could also be shown that in addition to the Malay Heteropteryx dilatata there is another species from the Thai Phang Nga Province, more precisely from the Khao Lak–Lam Ru National Park.[10]

Terraristic

[edit]

The species was founded in 1974 by C.C. Chua from the Cameron Highlands in Pahang near the border to Perak and imported several times from Perak to Europe by various traders in the 1980s. Other stocks have been introduced from this region in the recent past and are kept with their origin being named. One stock from Tapah Hills (also Perak near Pahang) and in 2015 another from Yoko Matsumura from Kuala Boh in Pahang were bred. A breeding stock imported from Phuket in 1998, in which the females have black coxae, has been lost. The fact that this corresponds to the one used by Bank et al. the undescribed species identified in 2021 is considered likely, as the two sites are only about one hundred kilometers apart and the specimens examined by molecular genetics also have black coxes.[10][16][17]

The size of the terrarium had to be adapted to the number of animals. For a couple, the terrarium should not be smaller than 40 × 40 × 40 centimetres (16 in). The feed branches with leaves can be placed in a narrow-necked vase so that they stay fresh longer. Among other leaves, those of bramble are eaten, such as blackberry and raspberry, but also oak, hazel and ivy. Temperatures between 20 °C (68 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F) and high humidity are required for keeping them. The latter is achieved by spraying the forage plants with water. In order to enable the females to lay their eggs, the ground should be covered several centimeters thick with substrate. Alternatively, an egg-laying vessel with substrate can be offered. Heteropteryx dilatata can live up to two years of age in captivity.[18]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Parkinson, J. (1798) Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 4(1): 190.
  2. ^ Gray, G.R. (1835) Synopsis of the species of insects belonging to the family of Phasmidae 13, 32.
  3. ^ Davies, A.; Siwanowicz, I. (2007). Super-Size Bugs. Sterling Publishing Company Incorporated. p. 4. ISBN 9781402753404. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  4. ^ Records at Phasmatodea.com website by Hennemann, F. H., Conle, O. V., Kneubühler, B. und Valero, P.
  5. ^ Fritzsche, I. (2007) Stabschrecken - Carausius, Sipyloidea & Co., Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, ISBN 978-3-937285-84-9
  6. ^ a b c d e Seiler, C.; Bradler, S. & Koch, R. (2000) Phasmiden - Pflege und Zucht von Gespenstschrecken, Stabschrecken und Wandelnden Blättern im Terrarium. bede, Ruhmannsfelden, pp. 15, 83–85, ISBN 3-933646-89-8
  7. ^ a b Brock, P. D.; Büscher, T. H. & Baker, E. W. Phasmida Species File Online. Version 5.0. (retrieved 15 March 2021)
  8. ^ Zompro, O. (2000) Gespenstheuschrecken der Familie Heteropterygidae im Terrarium. Reptilia - Terraristik Fachmagazin (Nr. 24, August/September 2000) Natur und Tier - Münster
  9. ^ "SpeciesFile 28/09/2009 - Phasmid Study Group". phasmid-study-group.org.
  10. ^ a b c Bank, S.; Buckley, T. R.; Büscher, T. H.; Bresseel, J.; Constant, J.; de Haan, M.; Dittmar, D.; Dräger, H.; Kahar, R. S.; Kang, A.; Kneubühler, B.; Langton-Myers, S. & Bradler, S. (2021) Reconstructing the nonadaptive radiation of an ancient lineage of ground-dwelling stick insects (Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae), Systematic Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/syen.12472
  11. ^ Guinness World Records 2013, Page 050, Hardcover Edition. ISBN 9781904994879
  12. ^ Löser, S. (1991) Exotische Insekten, Tausendfüßer und Spinnentiere - eine Anleitung zur Haltung und Zucht. Ulmer, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-8001-7239-9
  13. ^ Pearce-Kelly, P.; Clarke, D.; Robertson, M.; Andrews, C. (2007). "The display, culture and conservation of invertebrates at London Zoo". International Zoo Yearbook. 30: 21–30. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1991.tb03460.x.
  14. ^ Redtenbacher, J. (1906) Die Insektenfamilie der Phasmiden. Vol. 1. Phasmidae Areolatae. Verlag Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 36–57 & 162–172
  15. ^ Hennemann, F. H.; Conle, O. V.; Brock, P. D. & Seow-Choen, F. (2016). Revision of the Oriental subfamiliy Heteropteryginae Kirby, 1896, with a re-arrangement of the family Heteropterygidae and the descriptions of five new species of Haaniella Kirby, 1904. (Phasmatodea: Areolatae: Heteropterygidae), Zootaxa 4159 (1), Magnolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand 2016, ISSN 1175-5326
  16. ^ Phasmid Study Group Culture List
  17. ^ Heteropteryx stocks at Phasmatodea.com website by Frank H. Hennemann, Oskar V. Conle, Bruno Kneubühler and Pablo Valero
  18. ^ "Jungle Nymph - Heteropteryx dilatata". Keeping Insects. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
[edit]