Phyllium (Phyllium) monteithi "Kuranda"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
 

• please read my notes on Successfully breeding Phyllium, with lots of interesting details on Phyllium breeding 
• incubation about 4 - 5 months, but some nymphs will hatch even months after the first nymphs
• food plants:
  • feed well on bramble (Rubus spp.), Salal (Gaultheria shallon), hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
  • Guava (Psidium guajava) is very well accepted and prefered over Salal   (info by Tim van Molle)
  • silver leaf ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia)   (info by Chris Bell, Australia)
  • Hypericum "Hidcote" is also well accepted   (info by Marek Nohejl)
  • their natural food plant is in the family Myrtaceae, breeders in Australia feed this species usually on: "lilly pilly" (Syzygium smithii)
• I have kept nymphs from L1 to about L5 in a rather airy cage (Free-Standing-Setup) at around 65% rH
• older nymphs and adults (especially males) are better kept at a higher humidity of about 75%
• spray regularly but let water dry up before you spray again
• females about 8 -9 cm, males about 6.5 cm
• when they feel threatened (like when one handles them), they emit a rather odd smell, which reminds me of old potatoes. So far I have not smelled a similar sent in any other Phyllium