Phyllium (Walaphyllium) subgen. nov.

Type species here designated.

Phyllium zomproi Grö ßer, 2001: 96.

Distribution.

This new subgenus is restricted to Papua New Guinea (two species; Fig. 3A, B, E) and Queensland, Australia (one species; Fig. 3C, D) (Distribution map: Fig. 4).

Differentiation.

This new subgenus is easily separated from the other Phyllium subgenera by the following combination of features: [Male] tegmina media vein with an anterior media vein (MA) and two posterior media veins (MP1 and MP2) (Fig. 5B) and a vomer with a single apical hook (Figs 6D, 8D, 14C); [Female] tegmina venation with the posterior cubitus split into an anterior cubitus (CuA), first posterior cubitus (CuP1), and second posterior cubitus (CuP2) (Fig. 5A), fourth antennal segment about as long as the following segment individually (Figs 7C, 10A), not short disk-like, and adult females lacking developed alae; [Egg] capsule lacking pinnae, instead with a brittle sponge-textured surface and the operculum conically raised (Fig. 11).

Features which characterize this new subgenus, but do not necessarily differentiate it from others are: in males well-developed ocelli (Figs 7B, 9B, 14A); adult abdomen margins parallel (in males) or subparallel (in females) (Fig. 3); tibiae lacking exterior lobes (and only protibial interior lobe developed; Figs 6A, B, 8A, B, 14B); profemoral interior lobe with four to five small serrate teeth in both males and females (Figs 6A, B, 8A, B, 14B); and mesopleurae with five to seven well developed but not large tubercles which are nearly uniform in size throughout the length of the mesopleurae (Figs 7A, B, 8E, F, 9B, 14A). Comparisons to all the Phyllium subgenera can be found in Table 1 to summarize distinctive features.

Of these three species in this new subgenus, only P. monteithi has been in the phasmid breeding community to date and therefore this is the only species with the newly hatched nymph coloration known. Please see the below P. monteithi section for a description of the nymph coloration.

Etymology.

Walaphyllium meaning "Dancing Leaf". This subgeneric epithet is a compound of the Latinized name Phyllium, the type genus for the family (from Greek φυλλον, -ου (phyllon, -oy) + -um; Poitout 2007), coupled with the prefix Wala - which is derived from the indigenous Australian terms “walawalay” used in the Dyirbal language to describe the shake-a-leg dance (Dixon 1972) and “walayi-y,” a verb meaning "to pass by" in the Djagubay language (Patz 1991). Overlapping terms from each of these indigenous languages were investigated as they encompass a large part of the distribution of Phyllium monteithi, which is found in the Wet Tropics of far north Queensland, Australia. Phyllium monteithi is the most common and well-known species of this new subgenus, thus providing an opportunity to pay respect to the original peoples of this region who may have first appreciated this mysterious insect. This new subgenus is neuter in gender, following Phyllium .

Species included.

Phyllium (Walaphyllium) zomproi Grö ßer, 2001 (Fig. 3A, B)

Phyllium (Walaphyllium) monteithi Brock & Hasenpusch, 2003 (Fig. 3C, D)

Phyllium (Walaphyllium) lelantos sp. nov. (Fig. 3E)