Pulchriphyllium giganteum

Pulchriphyllium giganteum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Family: Phylliidae
Genus: Pulchriphyllium
Species:
P. giganteum
Binomial name
Pulchriphyllium giganteum
(Hausleithner, 1984)
Synonyms[1]

Phyllium giganteum

Pulchriphyllium giganteum, commonly known as the Giant Malaysian leaf insect,[2] is a species of leaf insects described from Malaysia by Hausleithner in 1984[3][4][5][6][7][8] and placed in the genus Pulchriphyllium since 2021.[9][10]

Description

Pulchriphyllium giganteum is the largest species belonging to the genus Pulchriphyllium reaching 105 mm in size. They are found most abundantly in the west Malaysian tropics. The females typically have large elytra that lie edge to edge on the abdomen and tend to lack hind wings making them usually flightless. Males have small elytra and sometimes transparent non-leaflike functional hind wings. Pulchriphyllium giganteum found in the wild tend to be mostly females and the first male of this species was not found until 1994. In captivity, the species has primarily been observed to reproduce through parthenogenesis meaning the females are asexual. The primary reproductive pattern in the wild is unknown. Eggs tend to be brown or black and glossy and resemble seeds. They hatch around 6 months after breeding.[11] Newly hatched young nymphs tend to be wingless and brown or reddish in color. They develop their green color after feeding on leaves.[12]

Ecology

Both the adult and larval stages are phytophagous meaning they feed on plants.[13] The main plant food sources for this species are oak and bramble tree leaves.[14]

In captivity

There are no known subspecies; this insect has proved to be popular for rearing in captivity.[15][16][17][18][19]

  • Pulchriphyllium giganteum eggs
  • Female of Pulchriphyllium giganteum

References

  1. ^ Brock, P. D.; Büscher, T. H. & Baker, E. W.: Phasmida Species File, (Version 5.0/5.0), (accessdate 8 August 2021)
  2. ^ "ADW: Phyllium giganteum: CLASSIFICATION". animaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  3. ^ Hausleithner (1984) Eine neue Phyllium-Art aus Malaysia (Phasmatodea: Phylliidae), Entomologische Zeitschrift (Entomol. Z.) 94(4):39-43
  4. ^ Bragg (2001), Phasmids of Borneo, Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 1-771
  5. ^ Seow-Choen (2005), Phasmids of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu 1-120
  6. ^ Brock (1995) Catalogue of Stick and Leaf-Insects (Insecta: Phasmida) associated with Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Malaysian Naturalist 49(2):83-102
  7. ^ Brock (1999), Stick and Leaf Insects of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur 1-223
  8. ^ Seow-Choen (1998) List of stick-insects (Phasmida) in the collection of the Centre for Insect Systematics Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Serangga 3(1):87-92
  9. ^ Brock (1998), Catalogue of type-specimens of Stick- and Leaf-Insects in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Insecta: Phasmida). Kataloge der wissenschaftlichen Sammlungen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, Naturhistorischen Museum Wien 13(5):1-72
  10. ^ Zompro (2008) Zwergformen der Phasmatodea - die Kleinsten unter den Riesen, Arthropoda 16(3):28-32
  11. ^ Ago, Fz10in #science • 3 Years (2018-02-28). "Strange Animal Phyllium Giganteum or a Giant Leaf Insect with a Unique Shape Resembling a Leaf". Steemit. Retrieved 2020-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Leaf insect | insect". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  13. ^ Mazza, Giuseppe (2016-04-24). "Phyllium giganteum". Monaco Nature Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  14. ^ "Species Information - Phasmid Study Group". phasmidstudygroup.org. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  15. ^ Otte & Brock (2005), Phasmida Species File. Catalogue of Stick and Leaf Insects of the world, The Insect Diversity Association at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 1-414
  16. ^ Brock (2003) Rearing and Studying Stick and Leaf Insects. The Amateur Entomologist 22, Rearing and studying stick and leaf insects, The Amateur Entomologists' Society, London 22
  17. ^ Baxter (2002), Rearing Stick and Leaf Insects, Chudleigh Publishing, Ilford 1-103
  18. ^ Salord (1995) La Phyllie Géante: Phyllium giganteum, Insectes 97:13-14
  19. ^ Brock (1994) Notes on the giant leaf-insect Phyllium giganteum (Insecta: Phasmida, Phylliidae) with a description of the newly discovered male, Malayan Nature Journal (Malayan Nat. Jour.) 48:53-57
  • Media related to Pulchriphyllium giganteum at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Pulchriphyllium giganteum at Wikispecies
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