Trachythorax albomaculatus "Kon Chu Rang"

General Informations

• provenience: Kon Chu Rang NR, Vietnam
• further taxonomical informations ➤ Phasmida Species Files

Females

• medium-sized and fully winged
• body length ≈ 9 - 10 cm
• bright yellow warning coloration just behind the head (dorsal membranous junction between head and prothorax), and a small bright yellow warning coloration at the dorsal membranous junction between pro- and mesothorax
• long antennae

Males

• very slender, long-legged and fully winged
• body length ≈ 5 - 5.5 cm
• they look like dwarfs, when on the back of a female
• bright yellow warning coloration just behind the head (dorsal membranous junction between head and prothorax). And a very thin line with a bright yellow warning coloration at the dorsal membranous junction between pro- and mesothorax
• long antennae

Nymphs

• newly hatched nymphs have a bright red body and pale colored legs
• quite a furry creature
• body length ≈ 13mm
• on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs

Eggs

• eggs are glued in a clutch, up to 30 or even more eggs per clutch
• after a few days a lid pops up on top of the eggs. This is not the real egg lid (operculum) ! Underneath this lid, a powdery substance appears. Furthermore two more flaps expand laterally to the egg lid, like on a frilled dragon (Chlamydosaurus kingii)
• maybe these expanding lid and flaps and the powdery substance help in protecting the eggs against potential predators? Either in a mechanical way, by preventing parasitic wasps from getting close enough to the eggs? Or in a visual way, as it gives the egg clutch a more barky or bird-dropping-like look, which could make it less interesting for birds?
• so far I have only seen something similar in Neoclides buescheri buescheri "Bako" - though in that culture the additional laterally expanding flaps were not present
• light brown

Food Plants

• Euonymus is very well accepted
  • there are Euonymus garden species with evergreen leaves. They are hardy plants, even in the cold swiss climate
  • Euonymus europaeus (coll. spindle), a native, deciduous european plant, has not been tested. Quite likely this plant is also easily accepted - as it is by Trachythorax sexpunctatus

Breeding, Behaviour

• easy to breed, if the food plant is at hand
• during the day, small nymphs are often not on the food plant, but on the sides of the cage. Maybe they are hiding out on the tree trunk or bigger branches during the day?
• as the nymphs, adults are also predominantely night-active
• both adult males and females show a defensive reaction, which is characteristic for this taxon. When they feel disturbed or threatened, then they bend the head ventrally. This reveals two areas with a bright yellow warning colour. One is just behind the head (dorsal membranous junction between head and prothorax). The other one is just a thin line with a bright yellow warning coloration at the dorsal membranous junction between pro- and mesothorax (hardly visible in the males)
• What is this behaviour warning about? Maybe they just wanna make it clear that they do also have a defensive spray
• their defensive spray is clear and has a slightly fouly smell. It might be better to avoid it getting in contact with mucous membranes (eyes, mouth)
• males never leave their female, it seems as if they are always couple up. The females can even fly very well with the male still on her back. Actually the male is also flying, when she takes off. This behaviour can be triggered by blowing at the male (which sits on the females back). As soon as the male feels the airstream, he starts flapping his wings - even though his female still perches on her twig
• females lay their eggs in clutches, about 1 clutch every 2 - 3 weeks
• a clutch can consist of 30+ eggs
• incubation, use the GET-Incubation-Method (GET = Glued-Eggs-Technique), with medium damp vermiculite
• incubation time about 4 months at 20 - 24 °C
• unlike in other clutch-glueing phasmid species, Trachythorax sp. "Kon Chu Rang" nymphs hatch over several days from the same clutch. In other species, often most of the nymphs hatch within a short time from the same clutch
• general note - it is quite common that from the same batch of phasmid eggs, some nymphs will hatch weeks, months or even years (!) after the first nymphs emerged
• eggs of this species are not particularely prone to get mouldy
• nymphs hatch at dawn and the early morning hours - not during the night
• freshly hatched nymphs easily start to feed on Euonymus
• a humidity of about 75 - 80 % rH seems to be good enough for nymphs and adults
• they can be sprayed 2 - 3 times a week 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), according to their size. Move nymphs to a bigger cage, as they grow older and larger
• provide a cage of about 40 x 30 x 30 (cm, L x B x H) for 2 - 3 adult couples
• males will be adult after 3 months (at 20 - 24°C), females after 4 months

Some basics of phasmid breeding

• our detailed notes on how to successfully breed phasmids are an integral part of this care sheet
• keep only one species per cage. Informations on why and how to keep cultures seperate and pure
• use the full culture name with provenience affix. For example Trychopeplus laciniatus "Monteverde"
• if possible keep day temperatures below 28°C, a nocturnal temperature drop is natural and advisable
• do not spray too much, phasmids are no fish