The Phasmid Study Group Chair: Mrs Judith Marshall Department of Entomology. British Museum (Natural History). Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Treasurer/Membership: Paul Brock (Phone 0753-79447) "Papillon". 40 Thorndike Road, Slough, Berks SL2 1SR Secretary: Adrian Durkin (Phone 0562-882420) 8 Foley Road. Pedmore, Stourbridge. W. Midlands, DY9 ORT December 1989 NEWSLETTER NO. 41 ISSN 0268-3806 DONATIONS - This is the fourth bumper issue of the year and the resulting increased printing and postage costs have been a drain on the Group's funds. A section for, donations is now included on the Membership Renewal Form, and any additional sum you feel able to send would be welcome. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING REMINDER - 27th January 1990 in the Natural History Museum Demonstration Room. Further details on a separate sheet. LIVESTOCK CO-ORDINATOR'S REPORT by Phil Bragg (No. 445) Many members come to meetings and exhibitions and ask for livestock or eggs of particular species. A large number of them do not get what they want because there are none at the meeting; yet a few weeks later I may have lots of eggs of those species and no one to send them to. If you want a particular species, your chances of getting it are better if you contact me at home (preferably by telephone) - DO NOT wait until a meeting. My 'phone number is 0602-222118. If you want new species but are not particular about which you have, give me an idea (large, small, winged, etc) of what you are interested in and I'll send some­ thing suitable. The placing of species into categories A, Band C is only a guide. If you want eggs of species in category B or C I will always do my best to help. New members please note that I generally have plenty of eggs of various easy species, so I can usually send new members several species to get them started. If you want more than one species, then just ask. 1989 AES EXHIBITION REPORT There seemed to be even more interest than usual in our stand and the many helpers (thanks to all) were kept very busy. Some 20 live species were displayed (including two with feet instead of feelers), together with three trays of set speci­ mens of Phil Bragg's (No. 445) very latest Sarawak species. Eight new members were recruited and several of this year's members renewed their subscriptions. Nearly 20 species were given away. ARTIS ZOO EXHIBITION REPORT This event in Amsterdam was a tremendous success, with several thousand visitors and about 10 new members recruited. Many live phasmid species were given to enthu­ siasts. (See also Newsletter 40, page 2, paragraph 3.) Press releases were sent to many magazines in Holland and to the Belgian "Aqua-Terra" group. 41: 2 FOURTH DUTCH-BELGIAN PHASMID DISCUSSION MEETING by Michael and Frances (No. 3) (from the full repor~) This meeting was held at the home of Heinz van Herwaarden (No. 47 8) in Goirle, Holland. Eight PSG members were present, including one newcomer. Some highlights: 1. Expenses for mailing the reports and species lists will be reimbursed. 2. Future meetings will be at the home of Patrick van der Stigchel (No . 336 ) i n Holland and, in September 1990, at the Royal Belgian Institute for Science in Brussels, to coincide with a two-week exhibition of phasmids and other insects. 3. It is hoped that future meetings will include studying, and i de n t i f i c a t i o n of any species brought along. 4. Heinz showed many slides of the new species he and Oscar van Gorkom brought back from their trip to Ecuador. 5. Twelve species were exchanged. 6. A yearbook will be produced. A detailed three-page report is available (in Dutch or English, on r equest from Kim D'Hulster, No. 372) for members who are especially interested. FRENCH GEP AGM AND RULES: SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS by Michael and Frances (No. 3t About 30 members were present at the Paris Natural History Museum; several Phyllium and other species were displayed and many species were exchanged. After a year there are 108 members, from eight different countries ( 83 from France). The 1990 subscription rates agreed will be, in francs, 80, 9 5 and 12 5 for France, Europe and other countries respectively - corresponding back issue prices are 25, 30 and 40 francs each. Future projects include building up both as large a library a s possible and a collection to enable sp~cies to be identified. The seven rules agreed allow for the annual election of a t h ree - membe r execu t i ve committee and also a larger committee as required. Other rules have similarities with PSG rules 14, 16 and 22. There was considerable discussion about the rule corresponding to our prohibitions on selling phasmids. Th e members' species lists in the Revues are intended for exchanges both of phasmids and rearing information, and any resultant hassling is subject to sanctions! POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL PHASMATIO EXPEDITION TO AUSTRALIA IN 1991 Or David Rentz (No. 692) has very kindly offered to draw up an itinerary if there is sufficient interest in an expedition. Australian stick insects are under­ studied and include many spectacular species of which only a few are in culture. Only those members seriously interested are invited to write to Paul Brock (No. 26) by 5th January 1990, and he will advise David of the response. Air fare alone is expensive and it is likely that costs from the UK will be well in e x c e s s of £ 10 00 . COLLECTING TRIP by Bruno KneubUhler (No. 440) If anyone wants to join me on a stick insect collecting trip (about 3-4 weeks) in June 1990 in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, they should please con t act me before the middle of February 1990. walking around in the jungle alone isn't very funny and is quite dangerous too! RELEASING PHASMIDS IS ILLEGAL by Michael and Frances CNo. 3) The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the release into the wild of any animal (which includes invertebrates) which is not normally resident in the UK. This means that it is illegal to put your surplus sticks into the wild (apart from the three British species). 41: 3 "PRICKLY" BY THOMAS NEWMAN (No. 639) This moving and beautifully written story about Thomas's relationship with his insects, "most of all one called Prickly", has been chosen for publication in 1990 by W.H. Smith, in their book of Young writers of the Year Competition winning entries. ANOTHER STICK STAR by Michael and Frances (No. 3) The programme on BBC TV about the making of the film "The Bear" showed what looked very like an adult Sipyloidea'sipylus - in the Alps doubling for the Rocky Mountains I We don't know if this appears in the final film. BOOKS ABOUT THE WEATHER by Peter Wilcox (No. 240) The National Meteorological Library (Meteorological Office, London Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2SZ) will supply on request specified books about the weather of various places in the world, free of charge on loan (but only to foreign countries where an institute has a prior arrangement). The postage to you is free but I don't know about the return postage. I recommend The World Weather Guide by E. A. Pearce and C. G. Smith (Hutchinson, 1984). A BEHAVIOURAL STUDY OF EURYCANTHA CALCARATA BY ILONA CLAIL (No. 496) Ilona has kindly provided the Group with a copy of this 140-page thesis on adult E. calcarata (University of Stirling, 18th March 1988). It is hoped to make this copy available for members to refer to, and Ilona does not object to being con­ tacted by members with queries about her project (please enclose SSAE). Ilona's four articles in this and the next Newsletter are taken from her thesis. Other topics include diurnal activity rhythms, sheltering heights of males and females, and the possibility of a hierarchy. Her two articles in the next issue are on fecal odours and aggregations, and preferences of these insects towards each other. PSG SPECIES LIST - DECEMBER 1989 by Paul Brock (No. 26) Various amendments will be noticed in comparison with the previous List dated June 1988. PSG 79 is worthy of a few notes - I recently saw a paper by Hebard, referring to a series of Bostra aetolus (Westwood) from Venvidio, Sinaloa, Mexico 1918, which shows the variability of this species (see my Species Report in Newsletter 31). Hebard regards Westwood's type specimen (female only) as having a "greater complexity of lobes and lamellae" than the series from Sinaloa . As the male is also described in Hebard's paper, I now have every confidence in confirming PSG 79 as Bostra aetolus. Hebard chose to place this species in Bostra, although this is perhaps somewhat debatable (the "differences" between some Bostra and Bacteria species appear to be negligible). The culture stock incidentally was found near Alamos, Sonora, close to the border of Sinaloa district. A few new species are included in the List, but several others are very close to fulfilling the criteria for addition. Examples of those being reared/attempted with varying success are: Achrioptera sp. - Madagascar Haaniella mUlleri - West t-1alaysia Agathemera crassa - Chile Leptynia hispanica - France Carausius alluaudi - Seychelles Orobia sp. - Madagascar Carausius gardineri - Seychelles Ramulus sp. - Burundi (No. 2) Diapheromera veliei - USA Ramulus sp. - Kenya Graeffea seychellensis - Seychelles Ramulus sp. - Zaire Unclassified (various) Philippines/Java (Eric van Gorkom) Unclassified (various) Thailand (Heinz van Herwaarden and Oscar van Gorkom) Unclassified (various) Sarawak (Phil Bragg and Patrick van der Stigchel) Unclassified (various) Ecuador (Heinz van Herwaarden and Oscar van Gorkom) Reference: Hebard, M., Dermaptera and Orthoptera from the state of Sinaloa, Mexico ­ 1.