Sermyle kujawskii "Green Hills"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Notes

• identification by Oskar Conle
• 2006 - first successful culture of this species by Jan Meerman (Belize)
• 2008 - first culture in Europe by Bruno Kneubuehler

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Origin

• Greenhills (Belmopan, Belize)

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 Female

• about 9,5 cm long
• coloured in different brown and grey shades
• dorsal surface of the head, thorax and abdomen (partially) is strongly granulated

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Male

• about 6 to 7 cm long
• brown, with greenish zones in the dorsal thorax area

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Eggs

• about 4,5 x 1,5 mm
• dark brown
• they are glued to the surface
• most eggs are glued to the sides of the cage, only few are glued to the leaves of the food plant or will lay on the cage floor. And some are even glued to other phasmid specimens
• with great care it is possible to lift off the eggs from the substrate they are glued to - without damaging them

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Food Plants

• nymphs as well as adults take easily to bramble (Rubus sp.)

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Defensive Behaviour

• they just feign death, only few males will try to escape when being touched and handled

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Breeding Notes

• an easy to breed species
• incubation of the eggs on damp (not too wet) sand, with springtails to reduce mould growth
• but it should also be possible to just leave the eggs incubating in the place where they are glued to (if the humidity does not drop too low)
• incubation time at room temperatures (20 - 23°C) is about 3 to 4 months
• hatching ratio of my first generation was high (75%)
• 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 bottom of the cage helps raising humidity
• nymphs and adults can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cage)
• move nymphs to a bigger cage as they grow bigger
• I have never sprayed nymphs or adults with water
• in the cage of the adults I do no more use wet paper towel on the bottom to increase humidity
• make shure that nymphs, which are about to undergo the adult moult, do not find places in the cage which would not offer them enough room beneath to moult successfully
• male will be adult after about 3,5 months (at room temperatures), females after 4,5 months
• females start to lay, or rather to glue, eggs after about 2 weeks