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 Acanthomenexenus polyacanthus

 
 
General Notes

• Dohrn described this species first as Menexenus polyacanthus in 1910

Origin

• the culture stock has been collected by the Baudin brothers (France) in April 2007 on the Islands of Sangihe. This is a small island north-east of Sulawesi

Females

• very pretty phasmids - about 5,5 - 6 cm long
• very spiny - some spines on the thorax are orange in colour, with a dark tip
• body colour is a lighter brown with darker drawings, but colouration varies between different specimens
• long antennae

Males

• about 4,3 cm long
• also very spiny, these spines are unichrome
• most of the males are brown or reddish-brown
• but some males are beautifully bluish
• this bluish coloration may depend on the food plants or the humidity
• antennae are longer than the fore legs

Eggs

• about 2 x 2 mm
• dark brown
• flattened, irregularely shaped
• surface is slightly rough, not shiny

Food Plants

• nymphs feed from the beginning nicely on Bramble (Rubus sp.)
• adults (haven't tired these on nymphs) also like Lonicera nitida (a common ground coverer in gardens) and ivy (Hedera helix)
• other breeders also feed them with fern

Breeding Notes

• an easy to breed and attractive species
• incubation of the eggs on damp (not too wet) sand, with springtails to reduce mould growth
• incubation at room temperatures (20-23°C)
• incubation time about 3-4 months
• hatching ratio was higher than 50%
• nymphs grow without further problems, few casualties
• a Faunabox (or similar cage) is perfect to breed them
• I do not spray my culture. A constantly wet paper on the cage bottom provides enough humidity
• males will be adult after about 3 months, females after about 3,5 months
• mating can be oberved when they are adult for some weeks
• females will start to lay eggs after about 4 weeks
• eggs are just droped to the ground