species: Austrocarausius nigropunctatus in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Austrocarausius nigropunctatus


©David Randall: Austrocarausius nigropunctatus mating pair at Lizard Island. The larger brown one is the female.

©Anne Hoggett: A male Austrocarausius nigropunctatus at Lizard Island Research Station.

©Anne Hoggett: Male Austrocarausius nigropunctatus at Lizard Island Research Station.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Phasmida
Family Phasmatidae
Genus Austrocarausius
Species Austrocarausius nigropunctatus

Colours

                                            

Distinguishing features

Elongate, very slender body and wingless. Females are brown/green, have tiny spines on the head and the terminal abdominal segments are distinctive. Males are smaller and green.

The photographed specimens differ from Brock's (2000) description of other specimens (all females) from north Queensland, including the holotype from Lizard Island, in that they lack a pair of spines between the eyes but Brock notes that character is variable.

Thanks to Matthew Connors for the identification of the three records from Jan 2019 and earlier, and of the specimen photographed by Mike Bok.

Size

  • Up to 10 cm (body length of females observed at Lizard Island)

Wingspan

  • Wingspan data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

  • Brock, P.D. (2000). Studies on Australian stick-insects of the family Heteronemiidae, subfamily Lonchodinae, including the description of a new genus. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 9: 51-55. LIRS catalog number 90285.