It's Been A Good Year--For Some Things

Monteith's Leaf Insect, Phyllium monteithi Brock and Hasenpusch

I have reported on this insect several times in this blog. It is the only known Australian representative of the widespread genus. Usually I see a couple of males at the light sheet but this year four have appeared. It has been an oddly dry wet season this year. The female of the species is extremely elusive. Only one has been found in nature. Reasons for their rarity seem simple. They rarely, if ever, fly and they are truly arboreal. When the males show up at the lights, they tend to move upwards towards the canopy. I suspect that's where the girls are too.

 The flanged legs add to the leaf allusion.

 The three spots on the top of the head are "ocelli", false eyes, the function of which is rather speculative.

A peculiarity of this species is the "fuzzy" antennae.