Carausius spinosus "Tapah Hills"

Carausius spinosus "Tapah"
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
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General Notes

• this species is being cultivated since many years
• several new culture stocks have been imported over the years

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Origin

• Tapah Hills (Malaysia) 

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Females

• quite large, sturdy insects, up to 15 cm long
• wingless
• head without horns, insted they sport a foreward pointed ridge across the fore head
• forelegs are strongly broadened
• antennae as long as fore legs
• colouration: different shades of brown. At night colouration becomes a reddish brown and thorax's underside is reddish
• a black spot on each side of the mesothorax at the joint of the mid legs, and two black spots ventrally on the 7th abdomial segment (distally)
• fine granulation all over the body
• inside of the midleg's femur reddish

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Males

• slim insects, about 9-10 cm long
• wingless
• head with two small, blunt, forward pointed horns
• forelegs also broadened, but not as much as in the females
• antennae almost as long as fore legs
• colouration of body and legs: many, irregularely arranged and shaped dark brown spots on lighter brown, these spots are lesser on the dorsal part of the body pic
• inside of midleg's femur reddish
• their abdomen ends in a strongly pronounced, pincer-like ending pic

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Eggs

• round, dark brown, surface is strongly granulated, well developed operculum
• size 3mm long, 2,5 mm broad

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Breeding Notes

• incubation of the eggs on damp sand – with springtails to prevent growth of mould
• incubation at room temperature (18-22 °C) takes about 4 months
• nymphs take easily to bramble, cut edges of leaves for the newly hatched nymphs
• keep the nymphs in quite humid atmosphere, yet provied them with a good air ventilation
• neither do I spray the nymphs nor the adults with water
• there is a wet paper tissue on the cage bottom which is being changed every week. This provides enough humidity in the cage
• male become adult after about 3 months, females after about 4 months
• females start laying eggs about 3 weeks after their final moult, they lay 20 – 25 eggs per week
• both males and females are great at feigning death, playing a dead twig during the day and also when you handle them
• attention – females are prone to loose legs quickly when handled roughly
• males, especially young ones, often hang down freely from their food plants, just hold to the plant with their hind legs

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Quellenangaben

• Phasmida Species Files  (www.phasmida.orthoptera.org)