Zoologtj.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



Plate 79, Figs. 1 and 2. 



ACROPHYLLA VIOLASCENS (Leach sp.). 



The Violet-winged Phasma. 



[Genus ACROPHYLLA (Gray). Sub-kingd. Articulata. Class Insecta. Order Orthop- 

 tera. Section Ambulatoria. Family Phasmidee. Sub-fam. Pterophasniina.) 



Gen. Char. — Body elongate, abdomen slender and cylindrical in tbe males, broader, 

 fusiform and depressed in the females ; ovipositor of female boat-shaped, keeled below, not 

 exceeding the end of the abdomen ; anal styles long, those of males often narrower than of 

 females. Thorax long, cylindrical ; mesothorax about three times as long as the prothorax, 

 usually spined ; metathorax shorter than the mesothorax. Head small, elongate, gibbous 

 behind ; antennae long, setaceous, many jointed, pubescent in the males ; eyes globose, prominent ; 

 three ocelli or none. Tegmina ovate, about half or one-third as long as the wings ; wings 

 moderate in both sexes, longer in the males. Legs long, slender (longer in the males), 

 dentated, anterior pair largest, simple ; femora narrow, not membranous, anterior pair notched 

 on inner edge to fit head ; hind tibia not strongly dentate within. Tarsi with 1st joint much 

 longer than the others, the three next gradually diminishing, 5th longer than the 4th ; claws 

 strong, with large pad. Australia.] 



Description. — Male: Colour: DuU-g'reen, the anterior portion of teg'mina and 

 anterior margin of costal area bright-gTeen ; posterior of tegmina and costal area, 

 abdomen, and femora yellowish-brown ; membranous portion of hind wings violet- 

 purple, with the veins of a strong-er shade of the same colour. Mesothorax above, and 

 under-side of meso- and meta-thorax roug-h, with close small g-ranular tubercles. 

 Anterior leg's simple, femora of middle pair with two denticulated lateral ridges, and 

 a median granular keel below ; hind femora with two denticulate lateral ridges, the 

 median angular ridge only slightly serrated, but with two large, slender, conical 

 spines nearly as long as width of thigh, and dividing the length into thirds. First 

 joint of tarsi nearly as long as all the others; antennae 21-jointed slightly pubescent, 

 anal styles moderate, flat, narrow. Length from base of antennae to tip of abdomen 

 (excluding anal styles) 3 inches 3 lines. Proportional measurements to length, taken 

 as 100: — Length of head, j^ ; antennae, t^; prothorax, j-q-o ; mesothorax, -j^ ; 

 metathorax, ^^ ; abdomen, -j^ ; width of abdomen, -j^ ; anal styles, y^u ; 

 tegmina, ^^ ; width of tegmina, -f^o ; length of one wing-, ^-^ ; width of costal 

 area, yot ; greatest width of wing, y-^^ ; length of anterior femora, j-^q ; of second 

 pair, xVo ; of ^i^^d femora, xn% 5 width of hind femora, -j^. 



Female : Colour : Whole body, legs, tegmina, and costal area of wings bright 

 pea-green, except the under-sides of the legs, which are dull reddish ; membrane of 

 wings pale rose pink, veins more strongly tinted with the same colour ; a whitish or 

 pinkish band along each side of mesothorax and metathorax below the keel of the 

 wings ; mesothorax rough with small granules, and with a narrow median keel, 

 narrow in front; under-side of meso- and meta-thorax granular; antennae short, 

 21-jointed, smooth; abdomen large, broad in the middle, tapering, granular, 

 carinated ; tegmina and costal area of wing broad ovate, wide in the middle, tapering 

 to a distal point; anal styles moderately small; denticulation of two hind pairs of 

 femora nearly as in the males, but smaller. Length from base of antennre to tip of 

 abdomen (excluding anal styles) 3 inches 2 lines. Proportional measurements to length, 

 taken as 100 : — Length of head, y^ ; antennae, -xq% ; prothorax, y^^ 5 mesothorax, ^^; 

 metathorax, -lY^ ; abdomen, -^ ; width of abdomen, ji^ ; anal styles, -^^ ; 

 Z>ec. vni. [ 33 ] E 



