''Nanophyllium australianum'', also known as the Queensland leaf insect, is a species of leaf insect found in the

Iron Range The Iron Range is collectively or individually a number of elongated iron-ore mining districts around Lake Superior in the United States and Canada. Much of the ore-bearing region lies alongside the range of granite hills formed by the Giants ...

in Northern

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wikt:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to ancho ...

for this species was discovered in 1906. It was suggested that it was a variety of '' Nanophyllium pygmaeum'', a species native to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

; however, it is now recognised as ''Nanophyllium australianum''. '' Phyllium monteithei'' is the second species of Australian native leaf insect, other than ''Nanophyllium australianum''. As with many species of ''

Nanophyllium ''Nanophyllium'' is a genus of leaf insects comprising 11 species, found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Southern Indonesia, and the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent. Not much is known about this genus, primarily due to their r ...

'', only males were discovered, which explains the enigmatic and elusive nature of these species.

There is a limited amount of information available regarding this species. In 2023, Minibeast wildlife received a donation of a female ''Nanophyllium australianum'' from the

. The female laid eggs, and they have successfully hatched. Additionally, in 1986, a male nymph was collected near Mount Tozer, and taken to Canberra. It was kept alive by feeding on pyracantha. Males appear black in colour, mimicking certain wasp species. Females appear a greenish colour, however this can change depending on the colour of their surroundings. Nanophyllium Aus male

Diet

This species is known to feed on Cape ironwood and ''

Pyracantha ''Pyracantha'' (from Greek "fire" and "thorn", hence firethorn) is a genus of large, thorny evergreen shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. They are native to an area extending from Southwest Europe east to ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q108384246 Phylliidae Insects of Queensland Insects described in 2018