Zoology.-] NATUEAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



Plates 69 and 70, Figs. 2 and 3. 



TROPIDODERUS IODOMUS (McCoy). 



The Violet-shouldered Phasma. 



[Genus TROPIDODERUS (G. Gray). (Sub-kingd. Articulata. Class Insecta. Order 

 Orthoptera. Sec. Ambulatoria. Fam. Phasmidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body large. Head flat, oblong, and subconvex behind in female. No ocelli. 

 Antennae 24-jointed and as long as entire thorax in males ; 26-jointed and about as long as 

 the mesothorax in female. Mesothorax in male slender, cylindrical, more than twice as long 

 as prothorax, sides finely serrated ; in females about twice as long as prothorax, subtriangular, 

 keeled along the middle, sides sloping downwards and outwards to a prominent, flat, serrated 

 margin ; mesothorax similarly keeled in middle, and serrated at sides. Tegmina elongate, 

 ovate, extending nearly to middle of first segment of abdomen in male, to middle of abdomen 

 in female ; median carina, moderately elevated in both sexes. Wings very large in both 

 sexes, reaching nearly to end of abdomen, those of males narrower. Legs short ; simple ; 

 basal joint of all the tarsi short ; four posterior femora in male slender, strongly serrated 

 on all the angles ; in the female the fore margin dilated and dentated. Abdomen of male slender, 

 cylindrical ; of females broad, gradually tapering to tip ; ovipositor large, boat-shaped, extending 

 slightly beyond abdomen ; anal styles are moderately long in both sexes.] 



Description. — Female: Color: Tegmina and costal area of under wings bright 

 pea-green above and below, except the base of the under-wings which are rich 

 intense violet on upper and under sides ; sides and lower surface of abdomen, head, 

 thorax above and below, and femora a slightly duller green ; tibiae and tarsi and 

 anal styles brownish ; upper surface of abdomen pale-greenish yellow ; veins of 

 posterior part of lower wings pale-green ; the hyaline membrane nearly colorless, 

 or with a slight greenish hue. Serratures of sides of thorax and femora of two 

 hinder pairs of legs reddish. Prothorax and mesothorax closely and irregularly 

 granular above, the metathorax granulated like the others below, as well as lower 

 side of abdomen ; antennae equalling the prothorax and mesothorax in length. 

 Length from 4 inches 9 lines to 5 inches 3 lines: proportional measurements to 

 length, taken as 100, length of head, yJo- ; of antennee, y^; of prothorax, T %^ ; 

 mesothorax, y\^ ; metathorax, y^ ; abdomen, T 6 ^ ; width, y 1 ^- ; ovipositor, T 2 ^ ; 

 anal styles, y^g- ; length of tegmina, y 3 ^ ; width of tegmina, y 1 ^ ; length of wing, 

 tm 5 greatest width of wing, T ^ ; width of costal area, y^V ; length of anterior 

 femora, T 2 ^- ; width, y^-g- ; length of 2nd femora, T y ¥ ; width, yf^ ; length of hind 

 femora, y 2 ^, width, T ^. 



This splendid Phasma is an example of the gigantic insects 

 peculiar to Australasia constituting the genus Tropidoderus, and it 

 is a good type of the whole family of the Phasmidce, popularly 

 called Spectres, Walking-sticks, and Walking-leaf Insects, from 

 so closely resembling twigs and foliage of plants frequented 

 by them. 



The 5 -jointed tarsi, the longitudinally folded wings, and no 

 pincer at end of abdomen, separate the Phasmidce from the Earwigs 

 (Forficulidce) ; the small prothorax, from Cockroaches (Blattidce) ; 

 the simple fore legs, from the raptorial Mantidce; and the hind 



Dec. vii. [ 33 ] E 



