phasmatodea.com

Graeffea leveri

general informations

first successful cultivation of this species by Bruno Kneubühler (2007)
2007 - I have distributed this species as Graeffea sp. "Russell island"
2008 - meanwhile Joachim Bresseel identified this species as Graeffea leveri. Orginally Günther described them as Ophicrania leveri, but they belong to the genus Graeffea
thanks a lot to the following breeders for their addtional notes: Rainer Galunder

origin

this species originates from Russell Islands (Solomon Islands). This is a small archipelago just north-west of Guadalcanal, the main island of the Solomon Islands (see map in the gallery)

females

more sturdy than the males, about 9 – 10 cm long
after their final moult they are usually greenish with some darker dots. Within the next few weeks they change colour to different shades of brown
they do not become as dark in colour as the males
forewings and the costal region of the hind wings are mottled with dark and light brown blots
hindwings reach as far as the distal end of the 4th abdominal segment
forewings about 7 mm long, hindwings about 25 mm
the anal region of the hind wings is bright pink
they open up their wings only rarely when handled and to not fly
cerci are long

males

slim, fully winged creatures, about 6,5 – 7 cm long
just after the final moult they are light brown or greenish-brown in colour. Over time (within about 2-3 weeks) the colour darkens considerably
older males have a dark-brown to almost black colour, especially the ventral side is almost black in the area of the thorax and legs
forewings and costal region of the hind wings are dark brown with more or less light orange blots
hindwings reach as far as the distal end of the 6th abdomial segment
forewings are about 5 mm long, hindwings about 35 mm
the anal region of the hind wings is bright pink
they open their wings quite often when handled and they fly well even for a longer distance

eggs

food plants

nymphs took easily to different palm trees - like Phoenix canariensis, Livinstona australis, Howeia forsteriana, Trachycarpus fortunei and Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (the latter is a common plant in garden shops)
an alternative food plant is bamboo (Phyllostachyus aurea)
bamboo is not a hardy plant once you cut it. It needs a high humidity, otherwise the leaves will wither quickly. But luckily it is an evergreen plant even in the cold winters of Switzerland
cultures raised on bamboo will switch readily back to palm leaves, which is certainly their prefered food plant

breeding notes

eggs take 3-4 months to hatch at room temperatures (about 18 – 24°C). During incubation, keep the eggs on a moderat moist ground, I do recommend sand with springtails
females bury their eggs in the ground, thus provide them with some soil (like peat)
both males and females are capable of spraying a defensive liquide from glands on the dorsal side of their prothorax
this defensive spray reminded me of lemons and it shall be examined chemically in the near future. I assume that this spray could cause irritation to the human eye, as defensive sprays of other phasmid species do. So therefore a cautious handling of this species is advisable
when bamboo leaves dry up they will roll up and may entrap a nymph which is sitting on it ! This happend some times in my culture. Therefore check the leaves when changing bamboo
they grew up in quite a airy cage with wet paper towel on the bottom
their cage is being sprayed regularly, about 3-4 times a week - otherwise the bamboo will wither quickly
as the origin of this species is a relatively small island, I guess it is important to provide them with a good air supply. Thus an airy cage and a ventilator in the same room might be advantageous
they reached adulthood after about 4-5 months
about 3 weeks after maturing females start to lay eggs, about 5 – 8 eggs a week

Welcome!