''Hermarchus''
[Stål C (1875) Öfversigt af Kongliga Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 32: 44-45, 89.] is a genus of very large
stick insect
The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's da ...
s within the order
Phasmatodea
The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an Order (biology), order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred ...
and the tribe of
Stephanacridini. Known species occur in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
,
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
and
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
.
Description and biology
Females are often 200 to 240 mm long (body length), depending on species. The males are winged, while wings are lacking in the larger females. In captivity, they are known to feed upon the leaves of plants such as eucalyptus, guava, bramble and acacia.
Species
The Phasmida Species File lists:
* ''
Hermarchus apollonius''
(Westwood, 1859)
* ''
Hermarchus differens''
Redtenbacher, 1908
* ''
Hermarchus insignis''
(Kaup & Heyden, 1871)
* ''
Hermarchus leytensis''
Zompro, 1997
* ''
Hermarchus novaebritanniae''
(Wood-Mason, 1877)
* ''
Hermarchus pythonius''
(Westwood, 1859) - type species (as ''Phibalosoma pythonius''
Westwood)
* ''
Hermarchus trigonus''
(Thunberg, 1815)
* ''
Hermarchus virga
Hermarchus or Hermarch (, ''Hermarkhos''; c. 325-c. 250 BC), sometimes incorrectly written Hermachus (), was an Epicurean philosopher. He was the disciple and successor of Epicurus as head of the school. None of his writings survives. He wrote wo ...
''
Redtenbacher, 1908
References
* J. Redtenbacher. 1908. In Brunner von Wattenwyl, K. and Redtenbacher, J. Die Insectenfamilie der Phasmiden. Parts (Tribes) 12-14, pp 339–482. Engelmann Verlag, Leipzig. See pages 444-448.
* K. Günther. 1929. Die Phasmoïden der Deutschen Kaiserin Ausgusta-Fluss-Expedition 1912/13. Ein Beitrag zur kenntnis der Phasmoïdenfauna Neuguineas. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin, 14 (3/4): 597-746, 7 plates. See pages 686-690.
* O. Zompro. 1997. Hermarchus leytensis n.sp., eine neue Phasmide von den Philippinen. Entomologische Zeitschrift 107(1): 38-40.
External links
Phasmid Study Group: Hermarchus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermarchus (Walking Stick)
Phasmatodea genera
Phasmatodea of Asia
Taxa named by Carl Stål