Necrosciinae sp. "Bach Ma"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Notes

• 2012 – this species has not been identified yet. But it belongs
           to the same genus as Necrosciinae sp. „Attapeu“ (from Laos)
• 2012 – first successful culture by Bruno Kneubuhler
• 2012 – this species has been distributed as Necrosciinae sp. „Bach Ma"

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Origin

• Bach Ma, Vietnam

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Females

• inconspicuous, typical phasmids
• about 12.5 – 13.5 cm long
• coloration is rather variable amongst females (in F1)
• basic coloration is a strong green, more or less speckled with dark dots
• dark stripe on the sides (laterally) of the head, over the eyes
• eyes are dark
• antennae longer than forelegs
• unwinged (apterous)
• area of the mouth is reddish
• white or very light stripe on the lateral side of the prothorax (hindmost part) and mesothorax (first half)
• subgenital plate is brown

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Males

• also very typical and thin phasmids
• about 9 – 9.5 cm
• coloration is rather consistent amongst males
• dorsal coloration is a strong green
• ventral coloration is green-brown (thorax area) and brown (abdominal area)
• knees are dark, almost black
• a yellow and a dark stripe laterally on the head, over the eyes
• almost white spots laterally in the hindmost area of pro- and mesothorax
• almost white spots ventrally in the hindmost area of pro- and mesothorax
• antennae longer than forelegs
• unwinged (apterous)

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Nymphs

• lenght (L1) about 16 mm
• coloration (L1) speckled with different shades of brown
• older nymphs are very individually colored – mainly different brown, some with green
• antennae with white tips
• by L3 it is quite easy to draw a distinction between ♀♂ (by the naked eye)

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Eggs

• about 3 x 2 mm
• grey-brown speckled
• roundish
• glossy
• capitulum is raised slightly, but really very distinct from the operculum
• a clearly raised Y-like structure on the micropylar plate

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Food Plants

• bramble (Rubus sp.)
  is very well accepted by freshly hatched nymphs (L1), older nymphs and adults
• no other food plants have been tested yet

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Behaviour

• (undisturbed) young and adult specimens are passive during the day
• older nymphs and adults are usually not on the food plant during the day
• if being touched, small nymphs (L1) are passive and feign death
• older nymphs and adults (especially adult males) try to drop to the ground or crawl away, when being touched. But usually they freeze again after just a few steps
• matings usually occur during the night, and last for some hours at the most
• males do not stay with the same female for a prolonged period

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Developement

• incubation time (HH-incubation on slightly damp sand at 20 - 23 °C) is about 3 months (for F1)
• spread some dry moss over the eggs - this will make it much easier for the nymphs to hatch unscathed and it also reduces mould growth to some extend
• hatching ratio was very high (> 50%) in F1
• males will be adult after about 3 months (at 20 – 23°C), females after about 3.5 – 4 months
• females start laying eggs after about 2 – 3 weeks
• eggs are flinged away with a sway of the abdomen
• about 20 – 25 eggs per female and per week
• adults can live for several months, also the males

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Breeding Notes

• it is very easy to breed this species
• keep the nymphs in a cage with good ventilation, but take care that the humidity does not drop too low
• a constantly wet paper towel on the floor of the cage helps raising humidity
• a humidity level of about 60 – 65 % rH is sufficient
• nymphs can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cages)
• move nymphs to a bigger cage as they grow bigger
• as the adults are rather big, a cage of at least 30 x 30 x 30 cm should be provided for some couples of this species (or considerably larger if the cage also contains other species !)
• generally I advise to keep different phasmid species seperately (overcrowed cages are unfortunately still very common ...)
• I have never sprayed nymphs or adults with water
• make shure that nymphs, which are about to undergo their adult moult, do not find places in the cage which would not offer them enough space beneath to moult successfully