Genus
Species
Stock
CLP
811
Culture status
Probably lost
Foodplants
Bramble (Rubus spp.)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Breeding notes
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
General Informations
- provenience: Santuario de Fauna y Flora Otún Quimbaya, Pereira, Colombia
- taxonomic evaluation by Oskar Conle (Germany), Frank Hennemann (Germany) and Pablo Valero (Spain)
- F1 CB culture in 2015 by Bruno Kneubuehler (CH)
- further taxonomical informations ➤ phasmida.speciesfile.org
- this is a pure culture, and serious breeders are asked to avoid mixing this culture with similar populations from a different provenience. When spreading this culture to other breeders, then always use the full name with provenience
Females
- stocky, small species
- body length 6.5 cm
- greenish-brown
Males
- stocky
- body length 6.5 cm
- green-brown
Nymphs
- freshly hatched nymphs are green with white antennae tips
- about 16 mm
- on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs
Eggs
- 3.5 x 2 mm
- brown with dark marking
- suface is rough
Food Plants
- bramble (Rubus spp.)
well accepted by nymphs and adults - Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
moderately well accepted by nymphs and adults - beech (Fagus sylvatica)
moderately well accepted by nymphs and adults
Breeding, Behaviour
- easy to breed
- active mainly during the night
- they feign death when touched or try to crawl away
- eggs just drop to the ground
- about 10 eggs per female and week
- incubation (Cup-Incubation-method on medium damp vermiculite) about 4 months at 20 - 23 °C
- eggs can be covered by vermiculite (about 5 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
- a humidity of about 65 - 70 % seems to be good enough for nymphs and adults
- one can spray them regularly with chlorine-free water, but allow the water to dry up before spraying again
- males will be adult after 3 months (at 20 - 24°C), females after 3.5 months
Basics of phasmids breeding
- keep only one species per cage, overpopulation is one of the main reasons for breeding failures
- keep nymphs seperate from the adults, mainly to protect them during the crucial moulting phases
- choose the cage big enough. When in doubt, too big is (usually) better than too small
- a ventilator often supports good breeding results, as it seems to increase activity and feeding
- provide enough light, but avoid direct sunlight (overheating)
- try to keep day time temperatures below 25°C
- a nocturnal fall of temperature is natural, and thus advantageous
- do not spray too much, phasmids are no fish ! The water should dry up before you spray again
- minimize disturbances (loud music, commotions, light at or during the night, opening up cages in the morning [often a moulting phase] ect.)