Periphetes graniferum "Mt. Capotoan"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Notes

• Westwood described this species as Phasma graniferum (1859)
• this species is distributed over several islands of the Philippines
• 2010 - a new breeding stock has been imported from Samar Island (Philippines) and is in culture (Bruno Kneubuehler)

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Origin

• Mt. Capotan (Samar Island, Philippines)

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Females

• typical stick insects - about 8 to 8,5 cm long
• upper body colour is a strong, shiny green, with blue-green segment joints
• legs (blue-green), eyes (orange-brown), body underside (orange)
• body surface is strongly granulated, especially in the area of the Meso- and Metathorax segments

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Males

• about 7 to 7,5 cm long
• very colourful insects, with shiny colours
• green (head, Prothorax segment, rear part of abdomen from S3 till S7), blau (leg joints, knees, eyes), orange (Meso- and Metathorax segments, front area of the abdomen), black (antennae, legs, abdominal ending)
• colouration of the lower side corresponds to the upper side
• body surface is also heavily granulated, especially in the area of the Meso- and Metathorax segments
• even pre-subadult males and especially subadult males show the gorgeous coloration of the adult males

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Nymphs

• freshly hatched nymphs are about 17 mm long and brown in colour with a darker abdominal ending
• antennae are longer then fore legs
• in the course of 1 - 2 weeks (after they have started to feed), their colour changes to mainly green

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Eggs

• reddish-brown
• irregularly shaped
• about 2 x 2 mm

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Food Plants

• bramble (Rubus sp.) is accepted
• at least the adults do also feed on Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
• firethorn (Pyracantha sp.) (Philippe van der Schoor, pers. comm.)

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Behaviour

• this is a very fidgety species
• nymphs drop to the ground and wriggle about when being disturbed (like when being touched when changing the food plants)
• this is also true for the adults. Especially the males behave frantically - and they do not calm down quickly
• this hectic behaviour can make changing their food plants (especially when many specimens live in the same cage) nerve-racking situation
• males do also often elegantly wave their abdomen - in a whale like manner
• matings are often to be observed
• couples break up after mating
• males mature after about 2 - 2,5 months, females after 3 - 3.5 months
• it seems that the lifespan of males is considerably shorter than for females
• males live 2 - 3 months, while females can live 4 - 7 months
• 2 - 3 weeks after their final mould, females start to lay eggs
• they lay up to 40 - 50 eggs per week
• eggs are just dropped to the ground

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Breeding Notes

• an easy to breed and beautiful species
• only there is relatively high mortality for L1 nymphs (about 30 - 40 %), as many do not start to feed on bramble
• therefore one should start with at least 50 eggs
• incubation with the HH-method (on dry sand) yielded a good hatching ration of 50+ %
• incubation time at room temperatures (20 - 23°C) is about 4 months
• keep the nymphs in a cage with good ventilation
• take care that the humidity does not drop too low
• a constantly wet paper towel on the floor of the cage helps raising humidity
• nymphs and adults can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cage)
• cover the lid of the fauna box with a stocking for L1 nymphs, otherwise they might escape
• move older nymphs and adults to a cage which is appropriate to their size
• 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