Aretaon asperrimus

Description

Aretaon asperrimus is a species of insect in the Aretaon genus of the Phasmatodea order. The sometimes used common name thorny stick insect is a bit misleading, since the species does not correspond to the typical stick-like habitus and many other species are thorny as well. Both sexes are completely wingless and have conspicuous thorns. Their eyes are mottled dark-brown and yellow. On the head, the pro- and the metathorax there is a pair, on the mesothorax two pairs of thorns are particularly well developed. These thorns are dark, red-brown, black-brown towards the tips. The rear pair on the mesothorax and that on the metathorax have even smaller side spines at their base. They stand out particularly clearly due to their contrast to the otherwise brown and beige marbled body of the female, or the male, which is drawn with yellow vertical stripes on a brown background. The legs, which are also brown, are thorny too. In addition to these normal-colored animals, very light-colored animals can occasionally be found in which the brown colors are lighter, sometimes light beige. As a result, the parts of the thorns that then appear wine-red are much more noticeable. In addition, the colors can fade significantly in the course of life, and older females in particular often appear as if they were covered with a layer of lime. In addition to the more brown and pale yellow to beige colored animals from Borneo, the animals from Palawan appear more colorful or at least more contrasting. The females are generally darker in color. In addition to dark brown colors, there are also lighter colors, which can also be pale green, especially in the area of the rear abdomen and the thorax. A more or less characteristic pattern consisting of these greenish, dark brown and beige to pale yellow areas can often be found on the thorax. The previously known males from Palawan are much more colorful than those from Borneo. A light, almost yellow stripe on the meso- and metanotum that narrows slightly from front to back forms a striking contrast to the dark brown basic color. Meso- and metasternum are colored bright orange. Their abdomen is brown on top, bright orange on the sides and pale orange from below.