The Phasmid Study Group

Transcription

1 The Phasmid Study Group C H A I R M A N : Judith Marshall. Ik-pL of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. (Tel: ; FAX ) T R E A S U R E R / M E M B E R S H I P : Paul Brock. " P a p i l l o n ", 40 Thorndike Road, Slough, Berks. SL2 1SR. (Tel: ) SECRETARY: Phil Bragg. 8 The Lane, Awsworth, Nottinghamshire, NG16 2QP (Tel: ) S E P T E M B E R 1998 N E W S L E T T E R No 76 D r a w i n g by Daniel Hallett ISSN

2 D I A R Y D A T E S 1998 O C T O B E R ^ AES EXHIBITION Kempton Park Racecourse. Offers of help to Phil Bragg N O V E M B E R 22 W E S T O F ENGLAND C R E E P Y C R A W L Y SHOW Newton Abbot Racecourse nd N O V E M B E R 29 R E P T I L E & E N T O M O L O G I C A L SHOW This show will be held in the Leicester area - more details in next Newsletter. th DECEMBER 6 th MIDLANDS E N T O M O L O G I C A L F A I R The Kettering Leisure Village Arena 1999 JANUARY 23. PHASMID STUDY GROUP A.G. M. Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London. rd The Phasmid Study Group has been invited to exhibit at some o f the above Shows. I f you w o u l d like to help run our stand please contact the member named or Paul Jennings at 89 Brackensdale Avenue. Derby, D E A F, (S I f members are w i l l i n g to r u n a stand at shows not mentioned here, please contact the Editor w i t h dates, and remember to send i n a review i f you have attended a show. I f you require Membership Forms these are available from the Editor. Change of address: Phil Bragg has moved house and his new address is: 8 The Lane, Awsworth, Nottinghamshire, NG16 2 Q P. His phone number remains the same, COMPETITION With this Newsletter you should find an additional sheet, with questions on one side and a male and female Heteropteryx dilatata on the reverse. Unfortunately there is no prize for getting all the answers on the front of the sheet right, that is just for fun, the answers can be found somewhere in this Newsletter, but the competition is the colouring competition on the reverse, so get colouring everybody. You can use colouring crayons, paints, there are no restrictions. All ages can enter, just tick the age selection box, and don't forget to add your name and PSG number. Judging will take place at the AGM next January, so you have plenty of time to do the competition and send it back to the Editor, Paul Taylor. The prizes, well you have guessed, PSG T-shirts of your choice. There will be one for the winner of each age group. You will be contacted after the AGM, unless of course you are there. Good luck everybody, and get colouring!

3 Phasmid Studies With the June issue of the Newsletter, there should also have been an issue of Phasmid Studies, but as I have had no complaints, perhaps members were being kind in not contacting the Editor. Well, what did happen to the June Phasmid Studies? It was printed and sent to the local area office for collection by the Editor, but instead, some kind person decided to "borrow them", 9 boxes full of Phasmid Studies. What anybody would want to do with 9 boxes of Phasmid Studies is beyond me, but sure enough, they have vanished. So, unfortunately for the printers, they have had to re-print 9 boxes of Phasmid Studies, and hopefully, with this Newsletter you should receive your June Phasmid Study booklet. But if you don't get it, please think of your poor Editor and don't all complain at once. Exhibition & Meetings Report West of England Creepy Crawly Show - Newton Abbott Racecourse. Janine Fletcher This was my third visit to the show, but this year I'd been roped into helping on the Phasmid Study Group and Mantis Study Group stands by Paul Taylor, and as usual my mother was coming as well, so her services were volunteered as well. My mother was somewhat apprehensive at first, as although she likes stick insects and mantids, her knowledge of them is about as good as my knowledge of nuclear physics! We arrived about half an hour before the show opened, and found that the stand was already set up, so we had a good chance to look around before the show opened. This year, I was a bit disappointed to see that several of the stands, although pre-booked, remained empty, and I think that there was less on show generally than in previous years. When the doors opened at am, we were pleased to see that there was a steady flow of people arriving and visiting our stand. A lot of interest was shown in the stick insects and mantids on display, especially the Peruvian Fern Insects, Oreophoetes peruana. We handed out many PSG and MSG membership forms, and many questions were asked, from the sensible to the ridiculous. In all, the day was a great success, and even my mother enjoyed herself, and said she'd be happy to help out again. We're now both looking forward to the next show there in November. West of England Creepy Crawly Show - Newton Abbott Racecourse. Paul Taylor This is the first time that I have ventured down to do this show, and I must say I was impressed with the venue and the layout. The show was certainly well spaced out with a steady stream of people all day long. I was certainly made most welcome by all, and will definitely do this show again. It was very nice to meet members of the Group from the South West whom we do not normally see. A special thanks to Janine and her mother for helping out ( I certainly needed their assistance), to Joe Rogers and his family, the organisers and the hospitality of the people from the South West. Phasmid Study Group Summer Meeting - Natural History Museum. The summer meeting was held on Saturday 25 July in the Palaeontology Demonstration Room and was attended by approximately 75 members and families. Following the formal meeting and lunch, Ian Abercrombie gave a most interesting illustrated talk on his collecting trip with Phil Bragg to Malaysia. A variety of plants, insects, spiders and mammals were shown from their extensive travels which took in Tasik Chini, Lulu and parts of Borneo. The area was unbelievable for the amounts of insects that were available, including stick insects. Following Ian's talk, young Samuel Cox gave a most interesting and descriptive talk on his rearing methods of Haaniella and Heteropteryx, from the popular Phasmid group, Heteropteryginae, the group that the insect workshop was about later in the afternoon. A copy of this talk given by Samuel will be found further in the Newsletter. th

4 It was then time for Ian's second and most important job of the day, as Livestock Co-ordinator, in charge of the Livestock exchange. As usual, Ian disappeared under a sea of members all clamouring for that sought after species. Ian eventually emerged with bare tables in front of him, and happy members all around. It was then time for our insect workshop. Phil Bragg brought along a number of drawers of set specimens of the Heteropteryginae group of insects, and other members brought live specimens. With 15 species presently in the group, ranging from the very popular Heteropteryx dilatata, to Dares sp. Haaniella sp., Hoploclonia gecko, Aretaon asperrimus, etc., there was certainly plenty to see and discuss. In fact, the discussions were still progressing when I left the museum, so if there is any member missing from home, I can only assume that they are still at the Natural History Museum. In all the day seemed to go down very well. Again it is nice to meet up with our newer members at these meetings and we hope that you all enjoyed it, and we shall see you at the AGM in January. Talk given by Samuel Cox on the culturing of Haaniella and Heteropteryx. Samuel has been a member of the Phasmid Study Group for VA years and although he has had many species in his collection, two of his favourite species are Haaniella and Heteropteryx. He inherited his first batch of Haaniella nymphs from Ian Abercrombie, along with some ova at the last PSG meeting. Samuel seems to be very successful in the way he is housing them at the moment. Whilst at the Entomological Fair in Kettering he managed to get hold of a butterfly cage made of wood with fine mesh sides. The three sides and the top were covered with polythene to keep out the draughts and increase the humidity, and the bottom was again covered in polythene and damp peat put on top. They are sprayed very regularly and the peat is always kept damp. The Haaniella are fascinating, especially as they are now fully grown. They are fed on bramble and oak, which Samuel changes once a week. The eggs that are laid are almost as big as a pea. They take up to 8 months to hatch. Out of all the Haaniella spp. Sam's favourites are Haaniella muelleri, and the most aggressive, Haaniella saussurei males. They hiss like mad and can hurt you very much with their back legs. The Haaniella moults about once every two months and their cast skins are delicate and still show a bit of the insects old colour. Samuel brought along the shed skin of a female Heteropteryx dilatata which was still bright green and looked like the original insect. The only loss that he has suffered is the death of a male Jungle Nymph which had a bad moult before adulthood. All the Haaniella species have wings but cannot fly. They use these in defence as they make a very loud hissing noise. They are all about 8 to 15 cm. long. Although they are all fed on a mixture of bramble and oak, Samuel has found that Haaniella muelleri does not eat the oak. On display from Sam's collection were Haaniella muelleri, Haaniella saussurei and Haaniella dehaanii. Sam pointed out that this was only his way of keeping Haaniella sp. and obviously everyone had their own success story. As his knowledge of Haaniella is only limited, he would still like to learn more about these species. Editor's note: For members who were unable to attend the Summer Meeting, Samuel Cox is about 10 years old (sorry if I have your age wrong Sam). He stood up in front of all the members present at the meeting and presented his talk very competently. His mother, who was present at the meeting, must have been very proud of him for achieving something that many people, including grown ups. would think twice about doing. Well done Samuel.

5 Sticks on the Internet For members with computers and access to the internet, there is the sticklist, wants & exchange and other information available by accessing: This is run by PSG member Alexander Dobernig. Also coming soon, the Phasmid Study Group's own www. page. Mark Jackson is presently putting together a page promoting the PSG, with membership forms (this will save prospective members from ing me to obtain a membership form) and links to other stick insect related pages. As soon as the page is available, we shall let members know through the Newsletter, but should it go "on line:" before the December Newsletter, then simply do a search for "Sticks". The stick insect boogie:- Explained? Jef Grainger In response to Daniel Hallett's suggested explanation for the classic stick-dance (Newsletter 75:8), I would like to first congratulate Daniel for the first decent attempt at an explanation I have come across. Nice try! I would agree that the side-to-side wobble may be a method of oxygenating the tissues: possibly to allow a faster, more efficient response to potential attack, and perhaps comparable to lepidopterans vibrating their wings to prime their muscles for flight. However, I do have some reservations over this theory: 1) Many phasmids do not respond in this way to disturbance, particularly the larger, bulkier species. It may be argued that such species use size and armour as a defence, rather than speed, but what about Heteropteryxl No dance here, but who would dare accuse this beast of having slow reactions? Also, the heavier the species, the greater the problem of efficient gas-exchange, due to decreasing surface-to-volume ratios. Therefore I would have thought that if Daniel's idea is true, the species which have no 'boogie' are often the ones which might most benefit from it. Of course, these bigger phasmids may compensate by having more complex respiratory systems (I have no idea: any experts?). Interesting note (?): It is thought by many that surface to volume ratio (which decreases as body-size gets bigger) may be the factor which ultimately limits the size of insects. With such a primitive respiratory system, gas is unable to diffuse quickly enough through the haemocoel after a certain size threshold. Millions of years ago, there was a greater oxygen to carbon dioxide ratio in the atmosphere, decreasing the surface/volume threshold value. As a result, insects were able to grow much larger than today (there is fossil evidence of dragon-flies up to 50cm long, and various other over-sized beasts). 2) If the stick-boogie is not a 'muscle-priming' response, but instead a primary method of ensuring efficiency of gas exchange, then I have even more problem with the concept. The obvious reason is that phasmids spend the vast majority of their time completely inert. This would therefore ensure that phasmids were a complete evolutionary non-starter...unless of course, they slow their metabolism right down during these static periods. Again, I have no idea. Experts? As with all problems, the stick-boogie would probably be better explained with more information. The metabolic stuff is probably way beyond most peoples' scope, but what about the distribution of the stickwobble throughout phasmid families? Are there patterns which can be seen in terms of geography, morphology, habitat, behaviour? Or does it occur in random fashion? There may be clues in this information. One possible alternative explanation is simply that the wobble helps to confuse predators, and helps minimise the risk of damage to the vital parts (rather like the difference between shooting at stationary and moving targets). It seems rather odd compared to the alternatives, but equally plausible, I think Can anyone else add some fuel to this debate?

6 Stick insect swavine and respiration. Robert Bradburne It is certainly an interesting suggestion that swaying in the wind may be a way of increasing air movement around the spiracles of the insect concerned, however I think that this is probably not going to help the insect get a lot more oxygen. The limiting factor in insect respiration is the rate of diffusion within the insect tracheae. Air movement outside the spiracles is only going to affect at most the first couple of millimetres of air within those breathing tubes. The pumping action that Daniel described in other insects is a much more important mechanism for maintaining oxygen supply to the tissues. This is beautifully demonstrated in adult female Extatosoma tiaratum. On warm days or after "strenuous" activity (which in the case of this species means walking slowly from one leaf to the next!), the soft abdomens of these insects can be seen pumping away once every few seconds, squeezing the air in and out of the tracheae. In theory the maximum distance that air could diffuse passively into the body of an insect is about 1 cm, which sets an upper limit on the 'thickness' of an insect to about 2 cm. Several of the larger, heavier species of stick insects and beetles are at the limit of this capacity, and so have to engage in pumping the air through the spiracles. There are various other tricks that insects can use to increase diffusion rate which involve actively pumping carbon dioxide in and out of the tracheae and altering the opening of their spiracles. It all goes to show that although they may seem to have a primitive method of breathing, the insects once again have a few surprises in store for us if we look closely enough! Phasmids at the Oxford Natural History Museum. Robert Bradburne I was lucky enough to attend a meeting on insect plant interactions in July which was held in the University Museum of Natural History in Oxford. The wonderful glass-roofed building is incredibly ornate and apparently cost far more than was originally intended when it was built. Consequently it was left unfinished in several places, the ornate carvings of plants and animals confined to a few places instead of covering the building inside and out. One can only wonder how grand it would have looked if the money had not run out. The displays are on two levels, the larger animal exhibits being housed on the ground floor and the smaller geological exhibits and the insect displays set up in a balcony running around the main hall. George McGavin, one of the curators of the insect collections believes that to get people interested in insects you have to catch them young. After a general introductory panel, the insects are displayed in families, each family having a case showing representative species and giving brief descriptions of life histories, anatomy, economic importance etc. Many of the cases have large models of a representative species in them which certainly are eye catching and I'm sure would attract the attention of the younger viewers. The Phasmid display lacked a large model of an insect but this was more than made up for by the number of large species on display. There were adult pairs of Acrophylla wuelfingi, Extatosoma tiaratum, Eurycantha calcarata and Heteropteryx dilatata as well as females of Phyllium scythe, Orxines mackallotti, Eurycnema goliath and a couple of other unnamed large species. There was also a fifth instar H. dilatata nymph to show how similar the nymphs can look to the adults in this family, as well as drawings of eggs and a photograph of a mating pair of unidentified sticks from Veracruz State. Altogether I thought it was a very well put together display, with the insects well laid out and the text understandable yet informative. I discovered new terminology about the insect anatomy as well as a few interesting facts such as the presence of a fracture line at the base of a stick's legs and a closeable diaphragm below this which allows the insect not only to lose legs easily but also to seal off the wound quickly afterwards, preventing loss of haemolymph and reducing the risk of infection. As an added bonus there is a large well lit cage of sticks next to a rainforest display which housed quite a number of Sipyloidea sipylus, Extatosoma tiaratum, and Baculum thaii at all stages of development. There were supposed to be some Eurycantha in there as well, although I didn't see these during the week that I was there so I have my suspicions!

7 Newsletter /O.v As part of the conference I was able also to take a behind the scenes look at the insect collection at the museum. The collection contains well over 3 million insects and about type specimens and is built up from a number of smaller collections made by various keen entomologists over several hundred years They even claim to have the oldest pinned insect specimen in existence. 1 was most interested in the Phasmids and so was led to the drawers where they are kept and left to my own devices I spent a happy couple of hours ruminating over the various species held there, some very familiar and others which were unlike any 1 had seen before, such as the genus Nisyrus which was flattened and had fern-like extensions covering the whole body. The main drawback with the collection, apart from the several drawers of unorganised "miscellaneous" Phasmids, was the labelling. This is largely historical, and so in its own way fascinating as an insight into how the taxonomy of these insects has changed over the period of their study. However, it did mean that for genera about which 1 knew very little, I was rather loath to believe the names given as I suspected that they would be different from the modern classifications Also I was rather disappointed that nearly all of the type specimens were missing as they had been "removed for safe keeping", but I can understand the importance of maintaining these in good order and so keeping them apart is probably a good thing. Altogether it was a fascinating trip for me and I would recommend that anyone who is in Oxford should visit the museum It is free to get in and there is something there for nearly everyone who is interested in the history of science, zoology, entomology or geology. Even if you are not interested by the collections, I would still advise you to go, just to see the beautiful building itself. (Editor's notes: I totally agree with Robert that it is well worth a visit to the University Museum, Oxford. The new stick cage has some additional new specimens, wilh nymphs of Heteropteryx dilatata, Lonchocles haematomus, Aretaon asperrimus, Neohirasea maerens and Graticiia sp. recently been added) Extatosoma tiaratum female by Daniel Hallett

8 i y e iv Incubating Extatosoma tiuratum eggs. cnci u. u Peter Vice When first incubating E. tiaratum eggs, I encountered problems with mould. Under warm, moist, confined conditions such as a small plastic egg container, mould can rapidly grow, and i f left unchecked will completely cover a batch o f eggs in a very short time. I now know several ways o f avoiding this problem, but my personal solution is this: Place the batch o f eggs to be incubated in a container, spray them with water and keep them very moist for a couple o f days. Remove them one at a time, and gently rub off the skin - like layer covering the egg (1 just use my fingers). It should come off easily now, a little extra care should be taken when removing the "knob" covering the operculum. The now shiny egg can be incubated in the usual way. Mould should no longer be a problem. A weekly check should be sufficient to pick out any "duds" that may appear. It is important that the egg should not be allowed to dry out from now on. Using this method for the last 3 generations, I have obtained a 80-90% hatch rate after 5 A - 6 months with the temperature varying between F. (room temperature). X CLEAR PlASTtC MOIST VekHtcuLiTE Usual method o f egg incubation. T - SHIRTS" T - Shirts with the design o f Oreophoetesperuana, Aretaon asperrimus, Phyllium bioculatum and Heteropteryx dilatata are now available from The Editor, Paul Taylor (address at end o f Newsletter). Sizes available are Medium, Large and Extra Large, and the cost, 6.00 plus p&p. ( U K mainland 1.00 p & p ; Overseas 1.50 p & p ) Cheques should be made payable to "The Phasmid Study Group" and don't forget to state your size, name and address and which "T - shirt" Oreophoetes peruana, Aretaon asperrimus, Phyllium bioculatum or Heteropteryx dilatata

9 Problem Page I am Ilona Roma, my membership number is I have a question for the Problem page. I know (from literature) that to prevent mould forming on the Phasmidae eggs it is recommended to use methylhydroxybenzoate. Unfortunately, I can not find this mould inhibitor in Latvia. I would like to know what mould inhibitor I can use instead, and how to use it (only to sprinkle on the sand, or I can sprinkle on the eggs also). In general my question is: how can I avoid mould on the eggs if I haven't methylhydroxybenzoate? It would be very interesting to know the other member's opinions. Ilona can be contacted by rigaszoo@com.latnet.lv, but I am sure other members would be interested in any other forms of mould/fungal prevention/inhibitors. Below are a number of questions sent in by Peter Vice that he would love answered: 1) At what point is an egg fertilised? If a mature virgin female is mated, how long would it be before the eggs being laid were fertilised? 2) At what point is the sex of an egg determined, and what is the mechanism that determines the sex? Is it "genetic" or environmental factors, such as temperature, or a combination? 3) What is the internal layout of a typical female phasmid? (e.g. the main organs such as the ovaries, gut, etc.) 4) When a phasmid "inflates" itself with air during ecdysis, which parts, or organs contain the air during this fascinating process? PSG MERCHANDISE Pens & Car Window stickers are now available. Prices are as follows:pens 40p each + p & p Car Window Stickers 60p each + p & p. (p & p - UK mainland 25p; Overseas 40p) Please send your order to: James Waddicor, 3 Squires Copse, Peatmoor, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 5HB, England. (Cheques should be made payable to "The Phasmid Study Group")

10 Phasma sieas Stan Pack The eggs from this species were collected from the wild in Papua New Guinea along with some other species, which unfortunately I was unable to culture to imago. I did manage P. gigas which I am glad to say is now available to members. I also had at least two other species of sticks, like P. gigas, but much bigger, one female which I managed to rear to adult, but did not survive to lay any eggs. I also managed to get Extatosoma popa and Extatosoma carlsbergi to adults, but again they did not survive to lay any eggs. I obtained the eggs at about October time, 1995, and started to culture them. P. gigas, I found, needed to be given plenty of space. I kept the eggs in a transparent container in multi-purpose, peaty compost, and stirred the compost about every day, at a temperature of about F. This seemed to aid the hatching, and when they did emerge, 9 out of 10 would be males. Once they reached 2 instar, I kept them in a large plastic sweet jar, then later transferred them to a 90cm x 45cm x 45cm cage plastic fronted with 6 cm of damp multi-purpose compost on the bottom to keep up a high humidity. I did not spray the foliage. Once I had the culture growing, I gave nymphs to Paul Brock and Mark and Maureen Bushell, who did very well with them. Three other members also had cultures, but did not have any success. They seemed to like bramble and raspberry, but would also take hazel, beech and hawthorn as well as other various plants like rose. I particularly liked feeding them hazel, as it has large leaves and does not have any thorns, which is a problem when you have arthritic hands. When I had them in a large cage, I noticed that the males would gather around a certain female, could she have been giving off a pheromone to say she was receptive? When they did mate, unlike some other species, they did not stay coupled for very long. As for the amount of eggs laid, I am not sure about the quantity, other than there was quite a few in the cage when it was cleaned out. Like most of the large phasmids of this type, once you have found out the needs, the rest was easy. Regrettably, due to serious health problems, I have not been able to pursue my favourite hobby for some time now, and at this point, I should like to thank David and Janice Rushen from the "Living World" at Exceat, Sussex, for looking after most of my species for me, which they are still doing until I am finally fit enough myself to once again pursue this most interesting of hobbies. nd Notes on PSG species. Oliver Zompro In the Newsletter 75, Phil Bragg added some phasmids to the species list. PSG 195 Sungaya inexpectata Zompro: A report on the culture was published in Arthropoda 5(1): 8. The male is unknown. PSG 196 Baculofractum insignis (Brunner v. Wattenwyl): A report was published in Arthropoda 5(2): It feeds on bramble. PSG 198 Anisomorpha sp.: The origin was mentioned by me in Newsletter 74:7. It differs from A. ferruginea by the larger size and colouration. The description is in the press. The things that go click in the night Penny Jackson. A little while ago there was an article in the Newsletter (71) by Peter Vice, "Click Insects", about one of his Eurycantha coriacea females clicking. My Eurycantha calcarata (two cages of them), have started clicking. One evening, one insect started clicking, something I had never heard before. After that, I think that they clicked every night. When I went on holiday my friend looked after them, and she kept them in her bedroom. They clicked all night! Thank goodness they don't live in anybody's bedroom at my house. The only other noise that I have heard a stick insect make is a cricket - like clicking made by my female Aretaon asperrimus in the middle of laying an egg. I think that meant something totally different, and the sound was not made with the mouthparts, like with Eurycantha sp.. Has anybody else had their phasmids making noises?

11 Newsletter 76:11 But what do all the noises mean? Can anybody explain the things that go click in the night? WANTS & EXCHANGE Wanted: Ova or nymphs o f PSG No. 103, Sipyloidea sp. (Thailand 8), and PSG 182, Oxyartes sp. Also thanks to everybody who sent me my wants in the last Newsletter. Contact Paul Taylor (Editor), details at the end o f the Newsletter. Wanted. Can someone help me find a female o f PSG 167 Hermachus sp., I only have males. Thanks a lot. Contact: Kristien Seru -Rabaey (No. 1890). f.seru@computercenter.be Advertisement LIVING DESIGNS Design, Manufacti & Supply o f nima Containers For A Brochure & Advice Our Widfe Product Range Contact LIVING DESIGNS SO Victoria Rd, Wood Green. London,NM 4XB Tel /Fax 0181 m Mil

12 Newsletter 76:12 Haaniella nymphs Daniel Hallett NEXT NEWSLETTER Please send all contributions to the E d i t o r Paul Taylor, 24 Forge Road, Shustoke, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 2 A U. England. 8 : to reach me by I * November 1998 or preferably earlier Contributions can be accepted in the following forms: a. Hand-written. b. Typed c. On I B M compatible computer disk providing it is sent on a 3.5" double or high density disk. Files can be accepted as Dos Text, Microsoft Word for Windows, or as ASCI I files @compuserve.com All contributions to the Newsletter will be deemed to be submitted to the French GEPAI, the Belgian-Dutch Phasma and the German Arthropoda for translation s NOTICE It is to be directly understood that all views, opinions or theories, expressed in the pages of "The Newsletter" are those of the author(s) concerned. All announcements of meetings, requests for help or information, are accepted as bona fide. Neither the Editor, nor Officers of "The Phusinid Study Group", can be held responsible for any loss, embarrassment or injury that might be sustained by reliance thereon. "The Phasmid Study Group"

13 Phasmid Study Group Quiz 1) How many species of stick insects are in the sub family Heteropteryginae? 2) Name 4 different species from the sub family Heteropteryginae? 3) Can you name 1 country that the species live in? 4) What is the common name of Heteropteryx dilatata. 5) What colour is a female Heteropteryx dilatata? 6) Can a female Heteropteryx dilatata fly? 7) What is your favourite stick insect? 8) Which stick insect that you do not have in culture, would you like the most? 9) Can you name the country that Ian Abercrombie visited, and gave the talk about? 10) What is Ian Abercombie's job in the Phasmid Study Group? 11) Who is the Chairman of the Phasmid Study Group? Name: PSG No Address: Age group: upto 10yrs. D upto 17yrs. D 18yrs & over. D S box.

14 Phasmid S t u d y Group Colour in this male and female Heteropteryx dilatata^ Drawings by Daniel Hallett