ACCOUNT OF THE PHASMIDAE, WITH NOTES OX THE EGGS. 



r7 



Loc. Lifu: two specimens. 



I have not seen the egg, but judging from the shape of the uterus I suppose 

 it will prove to be elongate and slender. The uterus in this species is very different 

 from what it is in Auchiale. 



Only one or two species of this genus have been described, but judging from 

 specimens in the British Museum there are several closely allied species, or forms, in 

 the Polynesian islands. G. coccophaga was found in Rotuma in both sexes by Mr Stanley 

 Gardiner, it is less elongate than G. lifuen&is and has shorter legs. G. coccophaga is 

 the species that is reputed to be at times very injurious, by consuming the foliage 

 and soft parts of trees from the produce of which the human natives draw part of their 

 sustenance. 



Genus. Gigantophasma, n. g. 



Antennae 30 articulatae, maris femoribus paulo longiores, feminae femoribus aequales. 

 Maris, alae magnae ; femina omnino aptera. Cerci maris sat magni, laminati, feminae 

 maximi. Ocelli nulli. Segmentum medianum metanoto brevius. feminae segmento 

 secundo abdominali toto, maris segmenti secuudi dimidio, aequale. Maris metauotum 

 in partes duas divisum. Segmenta abdominalia feminae lateraliter plus minusve lobo- 

 dilatata. Pedes multidentati. Fem. operculum subgenitale ultra apicem abdominis 

 extensum, lamina supra-analis nulla. 



The position of this genus is uncertain. According to Brunner's tables, the male 

 would come into Acrophyllidae (supposing that we consider the posterior division of 

 the metanotum to be part of the median segment) and might be placed near Mon- 

 androptera. The female on the other hand would come into Clitumnidae near Medaura. 

 The very large cerci induce me to place this curious form in Acrophyllidae, near 

 Monandroptera, a genus about which little appears to be known. The female has a 

 considerable general resemblance to Hennarchus pythonius, though differing greatly by 

 the abnormal development of the cerci. 



The male is of interest from the extremely definite division of the metanotum 

 into two parts. The posterior of these is less distinct in some other forms, and in 

 them is apparently counted as part of the median segment. Gigantophasma apparently 

 shows clearly that the metanotum really consists of two parts. This is seen less 

 clearly in various other Phasmidae. 



(11) Gigantophasma bicolor, n. sp. PI. VII, Fig. 6 ?. 



Fem. Fusco-viridis, superne a pronoti margine posteriore usque ad segmentum 

 abdominis sextum viridis, segmentis late fusco-marginatis ; abdominis segmentis 2 — 7 

 lateraliter plus minusve lobo-dilatatis, segmentis 8 — 10 parvis; femoribus posterioribus 

 superne ad apicem lamina elevata ad apicem spinigera : tibiis rude spinosis. 



Long. corp. ind. minor. 163 mm.; antenn. 43 mm.: cap. post antenn. 9 mm.; pronot. 



8 mm.; mesonot. 30 nun.; metanot. 17 mm.; segm. med. 9 mm.; abdominis 88 ram.; cerci 



9 mm.: femor. ant. 42 mm. 



Lat. segm. med. 12 mm.: abdom. segm. 1G mm.: cere. G mm. 

 Long. corp. ind. major. 1>S0 mm. 



