Morphological characterization and biology of Xerosoma canaliculatum Serville, 1831 (Insecta: Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae)

• Grant number: 20/16576-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Pitágoras da Conceição Bispo
• Grantee: Phillip Watzke Engelking
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Insects belonging to the order Phasmatodea are popularly called stick insects because they generally have an elongated body and sharp cryptic camouflage that resemble plant structures. Although they are large and charismatic insects, their taxonomic and biological aspects are unknown to most Brazilian species. Xerosoma canaliculatum Serville, 1831 belongs to the family Pseudophasmatidae. They are medium-sized stick insects with both winged sexes and brownish color, resembling fragments of dry wood. Knowledge about the species is limited, with historically only vague descriptions of its external morphology. Based on specimens of X. canaliculatum collected in the SESC Bertioga Nature Reserve, the work seeks to contribute widely to the knowledge of this species by presenting: data on biological and behavioral aspects with emphasis on their feeding, reproduction and defense mechanisms; detailed morphological descriptions based on external and internal morphology of adults, nymphs and eggs; sexual dimorphism of the species; geographic distribution; and scientific dissemination on social media based on specimen photography.