Two of our biologists have discovered three new stick insect species in the jungle of Vietnam. One of them, Phryganistria heusii yentuensis, is 32 centimeters long and the second largest insect on earth (even 54 cm with forelimbs stretched out). Only one other stick insect is bigger (Phobaeticus chani from Borneo, almost 36 cm). During their expeditions Joachim Bresseel and Jérôme Constant collected also dozens of other yet unsubscribed stick insect species. In years to come, it will certainly more than double the number of known stick insects in Vietnam. The three newly found species are described in the open-access journal European Journal of Taxonomy. Stick-bugs live at night and are known for effectively replicating the forms of sticks and leaves. Some species perform a rocking motion mimicking the movement of leaves or twigs. Joachim and Jérôme have been training Vietnamese biologists to build a reference collection of insects and to identify stick insects. Most stick insects are harmless, but at least three species were reported as serious pests in forests of southern China, sometimes defoliating several ha of forest, with numbers of 5000 stick insects per single tree!
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 06:03:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015