Acrophylla titan
| Acrophylla titan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult female (pinned specimen) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Phasmatodea |
| Family: | Phasmatidae |
| Subfamily: | Phasmatinae |
| Tribe: | Phasmatini |
| Genus: | Acrophylla |
| Species: | A. titan |
| Binomial name | |
| Acrophylla titan Macleay, 1827 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Acrophylla titan, the titan stick insect, is the third-longest stick insect found in Australia. First described by William Sharp Macleay in 1826,[2] it was considered to be the longest stick insect in the world until the discovery of Ctenomorpha gargantua.[3]
It is native to south-east Queensland and New South Wales.
Description
[edit]
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.[2] Males and females can be easily distinguished due to the females being larger and having sharp spines on the legs.[4] 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.[2]
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]- ↑ Rudolf, E.; Brock, P. (2017). "Acrophylla titan". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T78791411A78792127. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T78791411A78792127.en. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- 1 2 3 Brock, Paul D.; Hasenpusch, Jack W. (2009). Complete Field Guide to Leaf and Stick Insects of Australia. Csiro. ISBN 978-0-643-09418-5.
- ↑ "Ctenomorpha gargantua". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ↑ Jon Veenstra (2013). "Husbandry Guidelines for Titan Stick Insect Acrophylla titan Insecta: Phasmatodea: Phasmatidea" (PDF). askzk.org.au.