Pylaemenes sepilokensis sepilokensis "Sepilok"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Informations

• provenience: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center near Sandakan, Sabah, Borneo
• ID by Francis Seow-Choen (SG)
• F1 CB culture in 2015 by Ian Abercrombie (GB)
• further taxonomical informations ➤ Phasmida Species Files
• this is a pure culture, and all serious breeders are 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 has the number CLP 752 (Online Phasma Culture List)

Females

• very sturdy, small
• body length ≈ 4.5 cm
• females coloration is quite similar across individuals
• brown, bark-like, non-glossy coloration
• orange eyes

Males

• slender compared to the females, yet still quite sturdy, small
• body length ≈ 4.5 cm
• males are tendentially a tad smaller than females
• males coloration is very similar across individuals
• brown, bark-like, non-glossy coloration
• males tend to be a bit darker colored than the females
• orange eyes

Nymphs

• freshly hatched nymphs are light brown
• about 11 mm long
• on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs

Eggs

• ≈ 3.5 x 2.5 mm
• brown
• scaly, non-glossy surface
• all-around covered with about 0.5 mm long bristles
• each bristle has a double-sided hook at the end
• due to these hooks, these eggs cling like a bur seed to many surfaces

Food Plants

• Epipremnum (a very common indoor plant)
  very well accepted by nymphs and adults
• Philodendron
  is well accepted  (info by Philippe van der Schoor, NL)
• Dieffenbachia 
  is well accepted  (info by Philippe van der Schoor, NL)

Breeding, Behaviour

• easy to breed, and their food plant flourishes easily indoors
• active during the night
• during the day, the often hide under leaves on the ground
• they usually feign death when touched, rarely they try to crawl away
• a defensive spray has not been observed
• 1 or rarely 2 eggs per female and week
• incubation (Cup-Incubation-method, on medium damp vermiculite) about 3.5 - 4.5 months at 20 - 24 °C
• it is quite common that phasmid nymphs hatch weeks or even months after the first nymphs - from the very same batch of eggs
• eggs can be covered with vermiculite (about 10 mm high), which makes it easier for the nymphs to hatch without getting stuck in the eggs shell
• eggs of this species are not prone to get mouldy
• nymphs hatch during the night
• small nymphs can be kept in a Faunabox (or a similar cage), which shall not be too small
• opening of jar / bottle with food plants must be covered with something (paper towel or aquarium filter wool), otherwise they will drown
• keep a constantly wet paper towel on the bottom of the cage
• one can spray them regularly with chlorine-free water, but allow the water to dry up before spraying again
• provide a cage of about 20 x 20 x 20 (cm, L x B x H) for 3 - 4 adult couples
• males will be adult after 5 - 6 months (at 20 - 24°C), females after 6 - 8 months