Pulchriphyllium
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| Pulchriphyllium | |
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| Pulchriphyllium pulchrifolium, left female, rght male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Phasmatodea |
| Suborder: | Euphasmatodea |
| Superfamily: | Phyllioidea |
| Family: | Phylliidae |
| Tribe: | Phylliini |
| Genus: | Pulchriphyllium Griffini, 1898 |
| Type species | |
| Pulchriphyllium pulchrifolium (Serville, 1838) | |
| Species[1] | |
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List
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Pulchriphyllium is a genus of stick insects belonging to the Phylliidae (leaf insects), initially described as a subgenus of Phyllium, which unites medium-sized to large species. These are native to Seychelles, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and large parts of Southeast Asia.[1][2]
Females
Females reach body lengths from 67 to 114 millimetres (2.6 to 4.5 in). The last segment of their antennae is as long as the two preceding segments combined. The prescutum is as wide as it is long or significantly longer than it is wide. Well-developed external lobes (tibiale exteriore loben) are present on the tibiae of the forelegs, midlegs, and hindlegs. The most striking feature is the large lobe on the femura of the forelegs. These are the largest leg lobes found in leaf insects. While the inner lobes (profemurale interiore lobes) extend over approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the femura's length, the outer lobes (profemurale exteriore lobes) cover the entire length of the femura. They widen proximally at an angle extending beyond the femora's origin. The forewings (tegmina) usually reach only to the seventh or eighth abdominal segment, less frequently to the ninth. In most species, they do not reach the edge of the abdomen. The longitudinal veins of the tegmina are characterized by the parallel medial (M) and cubital (Cu) veins, which touch almost along their entire length. The cubital vein is either simple, i.e., undivided, or bifurcated, but then only divided into an anterior cubitus (CuA) and a posterior cubitus (CuP1). Hindwings (alae) are absent in females.[2][3][4][5]
Males
Males have been recorded with body lengths of 50 to 80 millimetres (2.0 to 3.1 in). Their prescutum is also as wide as it is long or significantly longer than wide. The tibiae of the forelegs always have fully developed inner and outer lobes (protibiale interiore and exteriore lobes). The middle and hind legs also have fully developed outer lobes. The lobes on the femora of the forelegs are present on both the inner and outer sides and are significantly larger than those on the tibiae. On the outer side of the hind femora, there is a prominent lobe extending the entire length of the femora (metafemural exteriorer lobe). The veins of the hindwings (alae) are also characteristically developed. As in many leaf insects, the radius (R) is divided into the first radius (R1) and the radial sector (RS). A characteristic feature of male Pulchriphyllium is that the radial sector (RS), the anterior media (MA), and the posterior media (MP) fuse with the cubitus (Cu) at various points and then converge to the wing margin. The abdomen is very broad in its posterior two-thirds. In this region, it may run almost parallel to the abdomen or taper or widen slightly towards the apical portion. The hindwings typically cover only the middle third and extend to the end of the abdomen or terminate just short of it. The vomer, characteristically shaped in many stick insects, has a single apical hook in Pulchriphyllium.[2][3][4][5]
Eggs
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Eggs are known from various Pulchriphyllium species. In cross-section, they can be distinctly pentagonal, more triangular, or flat on the dorsal side and otherwise nearly circular. The more pentagonal eggs possess prominent, angular wings, which give them a star-like appearance in cross-section. The angle between the two dorsal wings is larger than that between the other wings. This shape is typical of species such as Pulchriphyllium pulchrifolium, Pulchriphyllium agathyrsus, Pulchriphyllium anangu, Pulchriphyllium bioculatum, and Pulchriphyllium crurifolium. In eggs with reduced or absent wings, the cross-section is more triangular to rounded in the ventral region. The dorsal side is comparatively broad and flat, and in eggs with a more triangular cross-section, it always forms one side of the triangle. Such wingless eggs are found, for example, in Pulchriphyllium giganteum and Pulchriphyllium bhaskarai. The surface of the eggs is rough and spongy. The capsule lacks pinnae, instead exhibiting pits of varying sizes on its surface. The micropylar plate is elongated and extends almost the entire length of the capsule. It is approximately uniform in width, widening only slightly in the region of the micropylar cup. The lid (operculum) is always distinctly raised and usually hill-shaped. It can be one-quarter to one-third the length of the egg capsule in height.[4][5]
Freshly hatched nymphs
Newly hatched nymphs are strikingly orange, red, or reddish-brown, unlike the blackish-brown of Phyllium species. They also lack the typical white markings on the abdomen. Only the basal segments of the tarsi often show a light coloration. The abdomen is noticeably broad, often as wide as, or only slightly narrower than, its length at its widest point. Unlike Phyllium species, the outer lobes of the forelegs (profemular exterior lobes) are broad, and the outer lobes of the mid and hind tibiae (meso- and metatibial exterior lobes) are well-developed.[5]
Occurrence
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The distribution area of the genus Pulchriphyllium extends from the Seychelles through Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and large parts of Southeast Asia. It lies west of the Wallace Line but does not include the Philippines. Most species occur in the eastern part of the range, specifically on Borneo, from where nine species have been described. One species is found in the Seychelles, another in Sri Lanka, one in India, two in Thailand, and two to four on the Malay Peninsula. One additional species each comes from Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Hainan Island (part of China). Three species are known from Sumatra and two from Java. Since both the species found in Vietnam and those in Thailand have locations near the border of Laos, the genus is likely also present there. A similar situation exists in Cambodia, which is surrounded by these countries. Pulchriphyllium giganteum is believed to have the largest distribution area. Molecular genetic studies have confirmed the presence of this species on the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. It is also said to occur in Thailand and Sumatra.[1][5]
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