Phyllium (Walaphyllium) monteithi Brock & Hasenpusch 2003
- Dataset
- Walaphyllium subgen. nov., the dancing leaf insects from Australia and Papua New Guinea with description of a new species (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae)
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Insecta
- order
- Phasmida
- family
- Phylliidae
- genus
- Phyllium
- species
- Phyllium monteithi
discussion
Discussion. Phyllium monteithi is the most common phylliid species from Australia (the second and only other species being Nanophyllium australianum Cumming, Le Tirant, & Teemsma, 2018 which is exceedingly rare). For the Phyllium (Walaphyllium) new subgenus, this is the most commonly encountered species and has been in the phasmid breeding community for numerous years. Female Phyllium monteithi can be differentiated from Phyllium zomproi by several morphological features. One is the number of teeth on the stridulatory file of the third antennal segment with 27 to 29 teeth on P. monteithi (Fig. 10 C) and 48 to 50 teeth noted on P. zomproi (Hennemann et al. 2009). There is a notable difference in body size between the two species, with P. monteithi a medium sized species ranging from 75.0 - 76.0 mm and P. zomproi a large species ranging from 80.0 - 86.0 mm in length. Additionally, the tubercles on the thorax of P. zomproi are more prominent than those found on P. monteithi and the point of the subgenital plate in P. zomproi is more pronounced than in P. monteithi. Body size: males: 61.0 - 64.0 mm, females: 75.0 - 76.0 mm.
distribution
Distribution. Australia, Queensland: Mt. Lewis, near Julatten (Holotype: QMBA); Garrandunga, Polly Creek (Coll RC); Windsor Tableland, NE Mt. Carbine (Paratype: QMBA); Mt. Windsor, Tableland (Paratype: UQIC); Kuranda (Paratype: ANIC; Coll JHT); Innisfail (Paratype: QMBA); Atherton, Tableland (Paratype: QDPC); Cairns District (Paratype: UQIC); Gadgarra State Forest, nr Lake Tinaroo (Paratype: QDPC). Records taken from specimens examined and from Brock and Hasenpusch (2003).