Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler) 

General Notes

• 2011 – this species is momentarily under taxonomical examination by Joachim Bresseel (Belgium)
• 2012 – first successful culture by Bruno Kneubuehler (Switzerland)
• 2012 – distributed as Phryganistria sp. „Da Krong"
• 2014 - described as Phryganistria tamdaoensis by J. Bresseel and J. Constant
   
• two cultures of this species from different locations are in culture:
  Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Tam Dao", Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong"
• coloration of adult males of Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong" is significantly different from males of Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Tam Dao". Therefore these two cultures should be kept strictly seperate

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Origin

• Da Krong,  Vietnam 

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Females

• sturdy and very long phasmids
• about 22 cm
• upper side (dorsally) speckled with different brown
• lower side (ventrally) greenish-brown
• a fine red line runs alongside the lateral side of meso- and metathorax
• legs with numerous spines and a reddish-brown stripe
• antennae short
• red inner side of the forelegs (in the area of the head)
• cerci broad and much longer than the abdominal ending
• subgenital plate just slightly longer than abdominal ending
• praeopercular organ (the structure at the ventral end of the 7th abdominal segment, which serves as an anchorage for the male during mating) is very well developed
• no wings (apterous)

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Males

• sturdy and big phasmids
• about 17 – 17.5 cm
• thorax (dorsally and ventrally) grey-bluish with light brown areas
• abdomen upper side (dorsally) is light brown
• abdomen lower side (ventrally) is greenish-brown
• legs with numerous, fine, black spines
• legs are brown, with greenish-brown and reddish stripes
• head light brown with a darker stipe across the eyes
• antennae about ¾ of the forelegs
• no wings (apterous)

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Nymphs

• lenght (L1) 22 mm
• coloration (L1) green-brown
• antennae very short and brown
• it is quite easy to draw a distinction between ♀♂ (by the naked eye) in L1

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Eggs

• rather big
• about 5 x 3 mm
• olive-brown
• elongate-oval
• smooth surface
• shiny
• distinct, dark brown capitulum

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Food Plants

• bramble (Rubus sp.)
  is very well accepted by freshly hatched nymphs (L1), older nymphs and adults
• other plants have not been tested so far

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Behaviour

• usually passiv during the day
• if being touched, nymphs and adults try to escape. They either try to drop to the ground (nymphs and adult males) or try to crawl away (adult males and females)
• matings are common during the night. And males stay with the female for several hours, sometimes even more than one day

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Developement

• incubation time (HH-incubation on slightly damp sand at 20 - 23 °C) is about 5 months
• 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 in F1 was very high (> 50%)
• males will be adult after about 3 months (at 20 – 23°C), females after about 3.5 months
• egglaying starts after about 2 – 3 weeks
• about 35 eggs per female and per week
• adults can live for several months

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Breeding Notes

• it is  easy to breed this nice and big species
• as the freshly hatched nymphs are already quite big, therefore the incubation container should be big enough
• 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 very long, a cage of at least 40 x 40 x 70 cm should be provided for 2 - 3 couples
• 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