The Phasmid Study Group DECEMBER 2014 NEWSLETTER No 133 ISSN 0268-3806 2015 Membership Renewal Due. No price increase! See Enclosed Form, page 6. © Paul Brock Pseudophasma lakini photo by Curtis Lakin (See Page 7) INDEX Page Content Page Content 2. The Colour Page 9. PSG Census 3. Editorial 10. Food Plant Consumption Survey 3. Obituary: John Sellick 12. Identification of PSG 332 3. The PSG Committee 15. Alien Phasmids Spreading on the Isles of Scilly 4. Livestock Report 18. The Jungle Nymph 4. Name the Species Competition 19. Wordsearch Answers 5. Agenda, PSG AGM & Winter Meeting 20. Recent Additions to the Culture List 6. Membership Renewal 21. Phasma Meeting Report 7. Return of the Phasmid Book Review 21. The Stick Tip Exchange 7. A Note on Pseudophasma lakini 22. Stick Tripadvisor 8. PSG Meeting Livestock Exchange 22. Sticktalk 8. Stick Countries Wordsearch 22. Contributions to the Newsletter 8. PSG AGM & Winter Meeting Details 22. Diary Dates 9. London Zoo Visit 23. Photos of Phasmid Eggs 9. NZ Book Review 24. Lichen or Ets? the author(s) concerned. All announcements of meetings, It is to be directly understood that all views, opinions or theories, expressed in the pages of "The Newsletter“ are those of and requests for help or information, are accepted as bona fide. Neither the Editor, nor Officers of "The Phasmid Study Group", can be held responsible for any loss, embarrassment or injury that might be sustained by reliance thereon. THE COLOUR PAGE! ALL PHOTOS, ABOVE AND LEFT, ARE BY INGRID HAYETTE: Top Left – Male & Female Tirachoidea biceps Top Middle Left – PSG278 Phyllium philippinicum Top Middle Right – PSG339 M&F Medaurini sp Top Right – PSG281 Pterinoxylus crassus Bottom Left – Female Tirachoidea biceps Bottom Middle & Right – PSG278 Phyllium philippinicum Close up portion of Below, two photos from photo on left. the AES Exhibition 4.10.14. A few familiar faces here! Including Paul Brock (top photo, on left) doing some book signing. Photos by Hele Brok Pauls sister. Sadly, no-one sent in a report on the show. Carausius morosus End of abdomen Clitarchus hookeri End of abdomen Acanthoxyla inermis End of abdomen Acanthoxyla geisovii Opercular spine See page 15 for details on the above photos by Paul Brock. December 2014 Website: www.phasmid-study-group.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/PhasmidStudyGroup Newsletter 133.2 Editorial Welcome to the December PSG Newsletter. (See it in full colour on the PSG website). And on behalf of the PSG Committee, may I wish you all season’s greetings for a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and Happy New Year. The Newsletter consists of a bumper 24 pages I sincerely hope there is something here for everyone. PSG Winter Meeting & AGM. Please be aware we have our PSG Winter Meeting and AGM on Saturday, 24th January 2015, and it will again be held in the Flett Theatre and Atrium area. Judith has lined up another great meeting. There will be talks (arrangements for talks not yet finalised, see PSG Website for update), a simplified Nae the Speies competition, everods favourite…the Livestock Exchange, and other things – see you there! For the agenda please see page 5, and for first-timers please read my notes on page 8. If you are interested in joining the committee in any capacity, please contact Judith (details below). If you have any questions for the Questio & Answer Sessio, you are welcome to ask them on the day, but if you could e-mail them to Judith in advance, we should be able to give you a more thorough answer. Finally, remember to bring your PSG Membership Card. 2015 PSG Membership Renewal Due. Please be aware that your membership is due for renewal. A form giving full details is on page 6. Great news, there has been no price increase for another year. PSG Census. With the demise of so many, previously bread and butter, phasmid species, this census has become very significant. Please take part in this important census. See page 9 for further details. (PS Please contribute to the next PSG Newsletter, see page 22 for details). Regards to all, Mike Smith John T. Clark Sellick by Judith Marshall We have heard from his son that John Sellick died on 18th September, aged 82. We first knew him as J. T. Clark, author of the very useful book Stick and Leaf Insects, published in 1974. He was a teacher who became Head of Biology at Uppingham School, and developed a serious interest in the study of stick insects. He continued his studies with a number of useful papers including the description of the male of Carausius morosus, and made a study of phasmid eggs, completing his thesis on this subject and obtaining a PhD. He developed the terminology for phasmid eggs which is now widely used by taxonomists. [All references available at http://phasmida.speciesfile.org]. He was a regular visitor to the NHM so well known to other regulars – Paul, Allan, Phil - before the formation of the PSG, when he became the 48th member and attended many meetings. Phasmid Studies Editor: Ed Baker and Judith Marshall. (For Judith’s contact details see “Chairman”, above). Ed’s details: The Chairman: Judith Marshall. The Natural History Museum, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. Tel: Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. Tel: 0207 942 5610, E-mail: 0207 942 5975. E-mail: phasmidstudies@phasmid-study- [email protected]. or [email protected]. group.org. Treasurer/Membership Secretary: Paul Brock. 2 Greenways Exhibitions: Paul Jennings. 89 Brackensdale Avenue, Derby, Road, Brockenhurst, SO42 7RN, E-mail: p.brock@phasmid- DE22 4AF. Tel: 01332 343477. E-mail: exhibitions@phasmid- study-group.org or [email protected]. study-group.org. Newsletter Editor: Mike Smith. 13 Runnacles Street, Silver End, Livestock Coordinators: Mark and Ian Bushell. 43 Bradford Witham, Essex, CM8 3QN. E-mail: newsletter@phasmid-study- Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9AD. Tel: 01225 747047. E- group.org. mail: [email protected]. Webmaster: Natalie Ford (with assistance from Mike Strick, Merchandising: Mike Strick and Daren Moss. E-mail: Chris Pull, Nick Wadham, & Ed Baker). Contact via the PSG [email protected]. Web page, or E-mail: [email protected]. Other members: Phil Bragg and Ian Abercrombie. PSG Mission Statement: To study and culture stick insects and leaf insects (phasmids), publish results, and foster the free exchange of species, allowing members to share livestock appropriate to their experience. December 2014 Website: www.phasmid-study-group.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/PhasmidStudyGroup Newsletter 133.3 LIVESTOCK REPORT by Ian Bushell AVAILABLE LIVESTOCK – December 2014 to January Meeting 2015 The following species are currently available from Mark and Ian (contact details below): Key: N – Nymph A – Adult O – Ova 4 Sipyloidea sipylus O 297 Hypocyrtus scythrus N 9 Extatosoma tiaratum O 299 Neophasma subapterum ON 70 Haaniella scabra AN 301 Brasidas foveolatus N 73 Phenacephorus cornucervi ON 303 Orxines xiphias N 82 Rhaphiderus spiniger N 313 Manduria systropedon NO 90 Rhamphosipyloidea gorkomi N 328 Andropromachus scutatus AN 160 Trachythorax maculicollis N 331 Dares philippinicus N 161 Phenacephorus sepilokensis N 336 Lopaphus sp. CucPicture Phuong Natalie Ford O 163 Sipyloidea larryi OAN 337 Marmessoidea sp. Cuc Phuong O 173 Neohirasea maerens OAN 340 Neohirasea fruhstorferi NO 182 Oxyartes lamellatus O 342 Mnesilochus sp. Real O 188 Oxyartes spinipennis O 343 Myronides sp. Peleng Is Sulawesi N 203 Tirachoidea biceps O 344 Neohirasea nana N 207 Cuniculina sp. Bangladesh 13 O 352 Sipyloidia biplagiata ONA 211 Cuniculina sp. Bangladesh 12 O 353 Xenophasmina simile O 248 Pylaemenes guangxiensis N 355 Mnesilochus sp. Nabutaran OA 255 Trachyaretaon brueckneri O 363 Cigarrophasma tesselatum O 260 Diapherodes gigantea ON 365 Ramulus sp. Da Krong N 264 Pseudophasma velutinum N 366 Dimorphodes sp. Misool ON 265 Abrosoma johorensis AN Candovia robinsoni O 266 Agamemnon cornutus AO Necrosciinae sp. Da Krong O 275 Lobolibethra panguana N Trachyaretaon sp. Negros O 283 Diapherodes venustula O Phaenopharus sp. 'Cat Tien' O 294 Carausius detractus AO Dimorphodes sp. Misool O Eggs and insects are free, but the member pays for the postal charges. Eggs will be sent by 1st Class post. Live insects will be sent, UK only, by next day/recorded/tracked delivery [currently about £7 a parcel]. Save postage and disappointment, pre-order for delivery at the Winter Meeting. Members' Surplus Livestock: Your surplus livestock can be sent to our address, but please get in touch before sending any insects or eggs, particularly if the parcel is too large to fit through a letter box. Please also include your name and address as well as what species have been sent: Mark & Ian Bushell, 43 Bradford Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9AN, Tel: 01225 767047. E-mail: livestock@phasmid- study-group.org. Members' Surplus Livestock at the PSG Winter Meeting: We are looking forward to the Livestock Exchange at the Summer Meeting, but the usual pleas are made. All livestock and eggs are welcome but please ensure that: •Each box is labelled with the species name & PSG No if it has one. If you are unsure there are plenty of experts available to advise you. •Also include data on foodplants and notes of how you have kept them – useful for both the novice and the old hand. •Check before you leave that all your stock has gone, and if it has not then please take it home with you (unless previously arranged with us). PSG Census: Please read about the PSG Census on page 9. This is very important. Please do take part. PSG Summer Meeting 5th July 2014, Name the Species! Competition by Judith Marshall For this meeting I arranged an identification competition, with the invaluable assistance of Allan Harman and Ian Bushell who provided livestock of many species.