Phmasmatodae (Estudios) 12

rsSN 0966-0011

PHASMID STUDIES.

volume 12, numbers 1 & 2.
March 2005. Editor: P.E. Bragg.

'/J

y

Published by the Phasmid Study Group.

Phasmid Studies
volume 12, numbers 1 & 2.

ISSN 0966-0011

Contents

Peruvian Phasmids in the Manu National Park Robert Bradburne . Notes on Lonchodes geniculosus (Westwood, 1848) (Diapheromeridae: Lonchodinae) Paul D. Brock & FrancisSeow-Choen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A key to the genera of the Phasmatodea: Areolatae (Insecta) OliveI' Zompro . A new genus and four new species of South African stick insects Paul D. Brock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Description of the female of Diesbachia chani Bragg, 2001 P.E. Bragg . Reviews and Abstracts Book Review Phasmid Abstracts

1

8

1125

38

42 43

Cover illustration: Male Tllemlllenes lIIolldiriglllO Zompro & tusehio. 2001. by Orly Eusehio.

Peruvian Phasmids in the Manu National Park
Robert Bradburne,
26 Royal Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2DB, UK. Abstract The article describes a five night trip to [he Manu National Park in South Eastern Peru in September of 2000. Phasmids were found at three different siteswithin the reserve between 500 and 1000 m in primary and secondary (disturbed) rainforest. The most common stick insects encountered were similar in appearance to the genera Ocnophiloidea and Pseudophasmn, with a few other larger species also found. No collections were made and therefore no formal identifications have been possible. Key words Phasmida, Peru, Manu, South America.

I travelled toPeru in September 2000 with a group of six other friends. As part of this trip we had booked a six-day trip with Manu Expeditions (of Michael Palin's "Full Circle" and" Andes to Amazon" fame) to explore the world heritage zone of the Manu Biosphere Reserve. There are two "easily" accessible parts of the Peruvian Rainforest open to tourists. Trips depart onto the Amazon basin itself from Iquitos inthe North of the country (Figure 1) and also from around the Puerto Maldonato area into the Manu reserve further south. I had been told that the flora and fauna in the Manu area were more distinctive than around Iquitos and, as it is less visited, were less disturbed.

;

\

'>

Manu National Park

Amazooia Lodge

Figure 1. Map of Peru and the Manu National Park.
We travelled by minibusfrom the ancient Inca capital of Cusco over the Andes and down into the Manu National Park. This park covers an area the size of Wales and includes an enormous range of habitats as it spans over 3500 meters in altitude. Humans are allowed in the "Cultural Zone" of the park to help make it financially viable, but our ultimate destination was the reserved zone, accessible only by boat and free fromall humans except the native tribesmen (Figure 1). We entered the park at around 3800 meters where the vegetation changes from the Puna, or high Andean grassland, to elfin forest, which is quite an open forest full of moss-covered, trees, dwarfed by the harsh mountain conditions. We were here at mid morning, so there was little chance of phasmid spotting, but I did find a

Phasmid Sllldies,12(1 & 2) 1

stick-mimicking grasshopper in the long "grass".

lern
Figure 2. "Ocnophiloidea sp.", female found at Amazonia Lodge.
Six hours of bumpy descent through the cloud forest into the highland rainforest brought us to La Atalaya, a little settlement at about lOOOm above sea level. Just across the upper Madre de Dios river from here was the Amazonia Lodge, an old tea hacienda which wasto be our first night's lodgings.

2ern

Figure 3. "Dyme sp." Female found at Amazonia Lodge. The inside of the fore legs
near the head was turquoise in colour, and the mouth parts were red. Amazonia Lodge is in the Cultural Zone of the park, and consequently there were a lot of citrus trees interspersed with the young rainforest trees that were slowly reclaiming the area. Many of the...