Ramulus pingliense (Chen & He, 1991)

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V. & Zhang, Weiwei, 2008, Figures 12 – 17. Cnipsomorpha Erinacea N. Gen. N In Descriptions Of A New Genus And Three New Species Of Phasmatodea From Southwest China (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 1735, pp. 1-77 : 50-51

Ramulus pingliense (Chen & He, 1991) & Ramulus intersulcatus (Chen & He, 1991)

Ramulus pingliense has caused serious damage in Ankang (Shaanxi Province) in 1985 and badly defoliated

several kinds of trees. Ji, Luo et al. (2000) stated the insects to be very long-lived and each was able to con-

sume remarkably large amounts of foliage, from the sprouts to old leaves along their growth period.

In July 1985, R. pingliense and R. intersulcatus caused bad damage in Pingli (Shaanxi Province) with R.

pingliense being the more dominant species. The pests infested and destroyed forests, farmlands, gardens and

plants in courtyards altogether comprising an area of 1400 ha, amongst them 360 ha of crops and over 1000 ha

of woodlands. Various kinds of trees and plants, including crops were harmed. In cornfields the densities were

2– 10 specimens per plant and 30 specimens per square metre ( Zou, Liang & Zou, 1991).

Chen (1994) reported R. pingliense to have caused considerable damage on 2000 ha of forest and plantations in the Wenxian County (Gansu Province). The damaged trees were Fagus sp. (Fagaceae) and Prunus domestica (Rosaceae) .