Typophyllum sp. nov.

The group of “little walking leaves”, where this species belongs, needs to be revised.

Different individuals of the same species come in different colors (mostly brown or reddish-brown, but also grey, green, or mixed), and the females are twice the size of the males (an adaptation to a peculiar behavior, where the male rides several days atop the female prior to the actual mating).

So specimens of the same species are described as different ones in some cases.

However, this species is different to all others and needs to be described as a potentially new one.

Another peculiarity of this group are the calling songs, which are almost pure sine waves with a very narrow frequency band. This species produces series of 3-6 short pulses at slightly above 20 kHz, thus inaudible to the human ear. It lives at 900 – 1500 m.

Scientific Name and Classification

Typophyllum sp. nov.
subfamily Pseudophyllinae, tribe Pterochrozini

Where

On a RAP survey, Tepuyes of the Upper Nangaritza River and Cordillera del Cóndor, Provincia de Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador, South America.

When

April 2009

Field Notes

Male, body length 14-15 mm

Finder

Holger Braun, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign