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{{Short description|Species of stick insect}}
{{Taxobox
{{Speciesbox
| image = Acrophylla titan pinned.JPG
| image = Acrophylla titan pinned.JPG
| image_caption = Adult female (pinned [[Biological specimen|specimen]])
| image_caption = Adult female (pinned [[Biological specimen|specimen]])
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| genus = Acrophylla
⚫
| species = titan
| phylum = [[Arthropod]]a
⚫
| authority = [[William Sharp Macleay|Macleay]], 1827
| classis = [[Insect]]a
| display_parents = 4
| ordo = [[Phasmatodea]]
⚫
| synonyms = * ''Phasma titan''
| familia = [[Phasmatidae]]
* ''Diura titan'' Gray GR, 1833
| subfamilia = [[Phasmatinae]]
| genus = ''[[Acrophylla]]''
⚫
| species = '''''A. titan'''''
⚫
| binomial = ''Acrophylla titan''
⚫
| binomial_authority = [[William Sharp Macleay|Macleay]], 1827
}}
}}


'''''Acrophylla titan''''', the '''titan stick insect''', is the second-longest [[stick insect]] found in [[Australia]]. First described by [[William Sharp Macleay]] in 1826,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Complete Field Guide to Leaf and Stick Insects of Australia | isbn=9780643094185 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yhk4VPZPdX0C&q=titan | last1=Brock | first1=Paul D. | last2=Hasenpusch | first2=Jack W. | date=2009 | publisher=Csiro }}</ref> it was considered to be the longest stick insect in the world until the discovery of [[Ctenomorpha gargantua]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ctenomorpha gargantua |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/119347685 |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.gbif.org |language=en}}</ref>
'''''Acrophylla titan''''', the '''titan stick insect''', is the second-longest [[stick insect]] found in [[Australia]].


It is native to south-east [[Queensland]] and [[New South Wales]].
It is native to south-east [[Queensland]] and [[New South Wales]].
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==Description==
==Description==
[[File:Acrophylla titan eggs.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Titan stick insect eggs]]
[[File:Acrophylla titan eggs.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Titan stick insect eggs]]
Titan stick insects are pale brown-grey in colour and can grow up to {{convert|26|cm|in}} in body length. The females can be easily identified as being larger than the males. Males are able to fly but females are not.
Titan stick insects are pale brown-grey in color and can grow up to {{convert|26|cm|in}} in body length. Their long, wavy cerci are a unique trait of the species.<ref name=":0" /> Males and females can be easily distinguished due to the females being larger and having sharp spines on the legs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=askzk.org.au |url=https://aszk.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Titan-Stick-Insect-Acrophylla-titan-Veenstra-J.-2013.pdf }}</ref> Males are able to fly but females are flightless.


=== Breeding ===
=== Breeding ===
Titans breed during winter/summer. During the mating process, the male connects his abdomen to the lower part of the female's egg compartment. Mating can take up to 40mins and is repeated several times. The female will end up with a fat abdomen and will produce many eggs (200 to 1000) in her lifetime.
''A. titan'' breeds during winter/summer. During the mating process, the male connects his abdomen to the lower part of the female's egg compartment. Mating can take up to 40 minutes and is repeated several times. A single female will typically produce 200 to 1000 eggs in her lifetime. However, ''A. titan'' also holds the record for most eggs laid by a single phasmid due to one female laying over 2,050 eggs.<ref name=":0" />


The females then flick their eggs to the ground. The eggs look like those of the [[children's stick insect]] (''Tropidoderus childrenii'') but they are black-grey with a small white growth. Ants pick them up and eat the growth, and leave the egg in the refinery where they hatch.
The females then flick their eggs to the ground. The eggs look similar to those of the [[children's stick insect]] (''Tropidoderus childrenii'') but they are black-grey with a small white growth. Ants pick them up and eat the growth, and leave the egg in the refinery where they hatch.


==See also==
==See also==
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*[[Children's stick insect]]
*[[Children's stick insect]]
*[[Goliath stick insect]]
*[[Goliath stick insect]]

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q481994}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q481994}}


[[Category:Phasmatodea]]
[[Category:Phasmatidae]]
[[Category:Insects of Australia]]
[[Category:Insects of Australia]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of Australia]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of Australia]]
[[Category:Insects described in 1827]]
[[Category:Insects described in 1827]]


{{Phasmatodea-stub}}

Latest revision as of 10:00, 15 August 2024

Acrophylla titan
Adult female (pinned specimen)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Infraorder: Anareolatae
Family: Phasmatidae
Subfamily: Phasmatinae
Genus: Acrophylla
Species:
A. titan
Binomial name
Acrophylla titan
Macleay, 1827
Synonyms
  • Phasma titan
  • Diura titan Gray GR, 1833

Acrophylla titan, the titan stick insect, is the second-longest stick insect found in Australia. First described by William Sharp Macleay in 1826,[1] it was considered to be the longest stick insect in the world until the discovery of Ctenomorpha gargantua.[2]

It is native to south-east Queensland and New South Wales.

Description

[edit]
Titan stick insect eggs

Titan stick insects are pale brown-grey in color and can grow up to 26 centimetres (10 in) in body length. Their long, wavy cerci are a unique trait of the species.[1] Males and females can be easily distinguished due to the females being larger and having sharp spines on the legs.[3] Males are able to fly but females are flightless.

Breeding

[edit]

A. titan breeds during winter/summer. During the mating process, the male connects his abdomen to the lower part of the female's egg compartment. Mating can take up to 40 minutes and is repeated several times. A single female will typically produce 200 to 1000 eggs in her lifetime. However, A. titan also holds the record for most eggs laid by a single phasmid due to one female laying over 2,050 eggs.[1]

The females then flick their eggs to the ground. The eggs look similar to those of the children's stick insect (Tropidoderus childrenii) but they are black-grey with a small white growth. Ants pick them up and eat the growth, and leave the egg in the refinery where they hatch.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Brock, Paul D.; Hasenpusch, Jack W. (2009). Complete Field Guide to Leaf and Stick Insects of Australia. Csiro. ISBN 9780643094185.
  2. ^ "Ctenomorpha gargantua". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  3. ^ "askzk.org.au" (PDF).
[edit]
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