Genus
Species
Stock
CLP
683
Culture status
In culture
Foodplants
Bramble (Rubus spp.)
Hazel (Corylus avellana)
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Breeding notes
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
General Informations
- provenience: Phuoc Binh NP, Vietnam
- Phước Bình National Park is a national park in the commune of Phước Bình, Bác Ái District, Ninh Thuận Province. It is located 62 km north-west from Phan Rang town, the capital of Ninh Thuận Province
- ID and taxonomic evaluation by Joachim Bresseel (BE)
- F1 CB culture in 2015 by Tim Bollens (Belgium)
- further taxonomical informations ➤ Phasmida Species Files
- this is a pure culture, and all serious breeders are kindly requested to avoid mixing this culture with similar populations from a different provenience / location. When spreading this culture to other breeders, then always use the full name with provenience
- this culture is number CLP 683 (Online Phasma Culture List)
Females
- typical for Phyllium
- body length ≈ 8 cm
- females coloration is variable across individuals
- some females are greenish, while others are yellow
Males
- typical for Phyllium
- body length ≈ 6 cm
- green
Nymphs
- freshly hatched nymphs are dark brown
- on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs
Eggs
- ≈ 4 x 2.5 mm
Food Plants
- bramble (Rubus spp.)
well accepted by nymphs and adults - hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
well accepted by nymphs and adults - beech (Fagus sylvatica)
well accepted by nymphs and adults - other possible food plants (not tested though):
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
oak (Quercus spp.)
Breeding, Behaviour
- easy to breed
- active mainly during the night
- they feign death when touched
- females fling the eggs away with a swift swing of their abdomen
- eggs just drop to the ground
- about 10 eggs per female and week
- incubation (Cup-Incubation-method, on medium damp vermiculite) about 4.5 months at 20 - 24 °C
- it is quite common that some nymphs will hatch weeks or even months after the first nymphs - from the very same batch of eggs
- eggs can be covered with vermiculite (about 5 - 10 mm high), which makes it easier for the nymphs to hatch without getting stuck in the eggs shell
- nymphs hatch during daytime (around noon), as all Phyllium nymphs do
- a humidity of about 65 - 75 % rH seems to be good enough for nymphs
- keep adults at a higher humidity of around 80% rH
- one can spray them regularly with chlorine-free water, but allow the water to dry up before spraying again
- ventilator which provides regular air movement is very much recommended
- provide a cage of about 40 x 30 x 30 (cm, L x B x H) for 2 adult couples
- males will be adult after about 5 months (at 20 - 24°C), females after 6+ months
- the Free-Standing-Setup is very much recommened to get freshly hatched nymphs starting to feed. Once the nymphs are in L3, the Free-Standing-Setup is no more necessary