Phanocles vosseleri
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
| Order | Phasmatodea
| |
| Suborder | Verophasmatodea | |
| Infraorder | Areolatae | |
| Family | Diapheromeridae | Kirby, 1904
|
| Subfamily | Diapheromerinae | Kirby, 1904
|
| Tribe | Diapheromerini | Kirby, 1904
|
| Genus | Phanocles | Stål, 1875 |
| Species | Phanocles vosseleri | Redtenbacher, 1908 |
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General Notes
- identification by Frank Hennemann and Oskar Conle
- at first this species has been distributed as Phanocles sp. "Greenhills"
- 2009 - first successful culture by Jan Meerman (Belize) and Bruno Kneubuehler
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Origin
- Jan Meerman (Belize) found this species in Oktober 2008 in Greenhills (Belmopan, Belize)
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Female
- big phasmids, moderately thick, about 17 - 18 cm long
- coloration is variable, different shades of brown with more or less green
- some females have a white dorsal line
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Male
- thin phasmids, about 10,5 - 11,5 cm long
- coloration is very uniform
- meso- and metathorax has a slight blueish dorsal coloration
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Eggs
- about 3,5 x 2 mm
- light brown with dark brown speckles
- strongly structured surface
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Food Plants
- nymphs as well as adults feed easily on bramble (Rubus sp.)
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Breeding Notes
- an easy to breed species
- adulte need a cage of at least 40 cm height
- incubation of the eggs on damp (not too wet) sand, with springtails to reduce mould growth
- incubation time at room temperatures (20-23°C) is about 4 months
- hatching ratio of my first generation was high (more than 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 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
- 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 2,5 months (at room temperatures), females after 3 months
- adult females start to lay eggs after about 2 weeks
- a female will lay about 50 - 60 eggs per week
- eggs are just dropped to the ground
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References
- Phasmida Species Files (www.phasmida.orthoptera.org)
