Genus
Species
Stock
Culture status
In culture
Foodplants
Bramble (Rubus spp.)
Breeding notes
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
General Informations
- provenience: Cerro Chucantí, Daríen, Panama
- taxonomical evaluation by Oskar Conle (DE)
- F1 CB culture in 2017 by Bruno Kneubuehler (CH)
- further taxonomical informations ➤ Phasmida Species Files
- this is a pure culture, and serious breeders will avoid mixing this culture with similar populations from a different provenience / location
- when you will spreading this culture to other breeders, then always use the full species name with provenience reference
Females
- study, stout
- body length ≈ 5.5 cm
- females coloration is variable across individuals
- mainly brown, few females have some greenish small dots
Males
- slender
- body length ≈ 4 cm
- brown
Nymphs
- newly hatched nymphs are brown
- body length ≈ 16mm
- on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs
Eggs
- ≈ 4.5 x 2 mm
- brown
Food Plants
- bramble (Rubus spp.)
well accepted by nymphs and adults - other possible food plants (although not yet tested):
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
oak (Quercus spp.)
Breeding, Behaviour
- very easy to breed
- active mainly during the night
- they feign death when touched
- nymphs as well as adults usually hide within dry leaves on the ground during the day
- a defensive spray has not been observed
- females stick their eggs into a substrate on the ground, which is preferably humid but not soaking wet
- possible substrates are peat, soil (make sure it is pestizide free!) or just a crumbled up (organic) non-colored, old piece of cloth
- they lay only few eggs, about 5 - 6 per female and week
- incubation (Cup-Incubation-method, on medium damp vermiculite) about 6+ months at 20 - 24 °C
- general note - it is quite common that, from the very same batch of eggs, some nymphs will hatch weeks or even months after the first nymphs
- eggs can be covered with vermiculite (about 5 mm high), which makes it easier for the nymphs to hatch without getting stuck in the eggs shell
- alternatively one can also stick the eggs into the vermiculite (egg lid must face upwards!)
- eggs of this species are not particularely prone to get mouldy
- nymphs hatch during the night
- keep a constantly humid substrate in their cage, but make sure that it is not soaking wet
- one can spray them regularly with chlorine-free water, but allow the water to dry up before spraying again
- small nymphs can be kept in a Faunabox (or a similar cage), which shall not be too small
- provide a cage of about 30 x 30 x 30 (cm, L x B x H) for 5 - 6 adult couples
- males will be adult after 7 months (at 20 - 24°C), females after 9 months