Dares validispinus

The species shows the typical habitus for the genus. The females are about 40 to 50 millimetres (1.6 to 2.0 in) long, have no spines and many tubercles on the body surface. The coloring is mostly dominated by rather dark brown tones. Light brown to yellowish spots are often found symmetrically on both halves of the body. The underside is colored light brown to beige. The antennae usually consist of 24, rarely up to 26 segments. Their basal segment (scapus) is flat and has a tooth on the outside. As is typical for the genus, the abdomen of the females of Dares validispinus is widest in the middle and also highest there in adult, egg-laying specimens. Males, at 35 to 41 millimetres (1.4 to 1.6 in) in length, remain smaller than the females, but on average they are slightly longer than the males of the closely related Dares verrucosus. They are colored with a relatively high contrast. On the dark brown shiny body there are various longitudinally arranged, light brown to yellow areas, which result in a light central stripe on the abdomen. On the thorax, more precisely on the meso- and metathorax, several of these yellow areas are arranged in such a way that they look like a brown-yellow, especially from the side Stripe patterns work, which rise slightly towards the spines and thus appear a bit wavy. The legs are also completely colored dark brown. …

Dares validispinus is native to a wide strip in the northwest of the island of Borneo, where it has been detected from Sarawak via Brunei to Sabah. There is also evidence from the area Labuan. This Dares species is just as nocturnal as the others of this genus. During the day the animals hide. In addition, their color and body shape make them easy to confuse with parts of plants. This strategy of camouflage (here phytomimesis) is not given up even if the animals are discovered. When touched, they drop to the ground and remain there motionless in playing dead. Only when there is no further contact do they slowly move back towards a suitable hiding place. Only two to three eggs are laid on the ground per week. These are approximately spherical and about 3.2 millimetres (0.13 in) in diameter and dark brown in color with irregular gray-brown spots. There are 0.3 millimetres (0.012 in) long, creamy white, curved hairs on the surface, which often causes the eggs to stick together. The large micropylar plate has three arms. One of the arms points in the direction of the lid (operculum) and almost reaches it, while the other two run circularly around the lower quarter of the egg. The almost round operculum has a diameter of 2.0 to 2.4 millimetres (0.079 to 0.094 in). After four to six months, the approximately 14 millimetres (0.55 in) long nymphs hatch. …