Genus
Species
Stock
CLP
508
Culture status
Probably lost
Foodplants
Bramble (Rubus spp.)
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Oak (Quercus robur)
Breeding notes
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
General Notes
- Stål (1875) first described this species as Diapheromera denticrus
- synonym: M. dentricus (Beamer, 1932)
- 2011 - eggs imported and bred by Bruno Kneubühler and some other European breeders
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Origin
- Lafayette (Louisina, USA)
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Females
- medium sized phasmids
- about 13 - 14 cm long
- very glossy surface
- green and olive-brown areas
- segment joints of the abdomen are reddish-brown
- numerous robust and black spines on the lower side of thighs of the mid and hind legs (meso- and metafemora)
- thighs of the mid legs are stronger developed
- antennae are about the same length as the fore legs
- no wings
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Males
- medium sized phasmids too
- about 11 cm
- very glossy surface
- main colour is a strong green and a light or reddish brown
- green on the lower side is darker
- thighs of the fore legs with light blue-green
- lower side of the thighs of mid and hind legs (meso- and metafemora) are red
- segment joints are reddish-brown marked-off
- thighs of the mid and hind legs are strongly built
- a strongly built, black and outwards curved spine on each thigh of the mid and hind legs (distal end)
- antennae are a bit longer than the fore legs
- no wings
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Nymphs (L1)
- about 17 mm
- green
- light brown eyes
- antennae slightly shorter than the forelegs
- it is possible to differentiate ♀♂ in L1
- by L2, some nymphs have reddish leg joints
- by L3, ♂ have bigger cerci than the ♀
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Eggs
- about 4.5 x 2 mm
- dark brown with lighter, almost white areas
- the lid (capitulum) has a reddish-brown, filigree structure
- fine hairs around the lid
- microphylar plate is almost white with a dark dot
- microphylar plate is surrounded by a light brown edging
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Food Plants
- nymphs feed and grow very well on bramble (Rubus sp.)
- adult males also feed well bramble (Rubus sp.)
- adult female feed on bramble (Rubus sp.), but they prefer beech (Fagus sylvatica) or oak (Quercus sp.)
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Behaviour
- nymphs are not really active, though they might try to escape when being touched
- adult specimens are sometimes also active during the day, especially the males
- adult specimens, especially the males, try to escape when being grabbed
- males hassle the females often and strongly - therefore I keep them in a seperate cage and put them only for a few days every 3 - 4 weeks in the cage with the females
- male mature after about 2.5 - 3 months, females after about 3 - 3.5 months
- females start to lay eggs after about 2 - 3 weeks
- eggs are just dropped to the ground
- about 15 eggs per female and week
- matings can be observed frequently, but they last only for some hours
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Breeding Notes
- an easy to breed and astonishingly beautiful species
- incubation with the HH-incubation method (on slightly damp sand) yields a good hatching ratio
- some moss spread over the eggs reduces mould growth and strongly facilitates successful hatching
- incubation time at room temperatures (20 - 23°C) is about 6 months
- incubation time can also be up to 1.5 years (thanks to Piero Latini, Italy)
- hatching ratio was high (50+ %)
- 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 floor of the cage helps raising humidity
- nymphs and adults can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cages)
- 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 their adult moult, do not find places in the cage which would not offer them enough space beneath to moult successfully