Brizoides amabilis "Tobago"

(by Yannick Bellanger, ASPER, France)  

General Notes

• Redtenbacher (1906) described this species from Venezuela
• it seems that this is the first successful culture of a species in the family
  Stratocleinae
• Yannick Bellanger described the female and the egg for the first time

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Culture History

• 2009 - first successful culture by Y. Bellanger (only 3 hatched nymphs from 10 eggs, 1 male and 2 females)
• 2012 – first distribution of surplus by ASPER as Brizoides amabilis

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Origin

• Tobago

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Females

• winged, they fly very well
• about 6 cm long
• body coloration green and wings orange
• antennae longer than the body
• ocelli visible

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Males

• winged, they fly very well
• between 4.5 and 5 cm long
• body coloration green and wings orange
• antennae longer than the body
• ocelli visible

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Nymphs

• light brown body
• when disturbed, they show a small white mark under their abdomen

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Eggs

• light grey when freshly laid, after they become light brown
• total length is about 3.0 mm
• very lengthened micropylar plate
• flat operculum

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Food Plants

• honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.)
  common and winter green garden plant, is well accepted by nymphs and adults
• english plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
  very common and winter green small herbaceous plant, well accepted by nymphs and adults. Interesting especially for freshly hatched nymphs which are very small
• lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
  common garden plant, well accepted by nymphs and adults but only possible from spring to autumn as it is not a winter green plant
• Abelia sp.
  garden plant, well accepted by nymphs and adults
• Symphoricarpos albus
  garden plant, well accepted by nymphs and adults
• Viburnum tinus
  garden plant, accepted especially by adults
• Weigelia sp.
  garden plant
• Gonzalagunia hirsuta
  natural foodplant
• privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
  well accpeted   (info by Anthony Lefevre, France)

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Behaviour

• nocturnal species, nymphs spend the day time in the branchs and under leaves of Gonzalagunia hirsuta. Adults fly very well on night.
• matings can occur for a quite long time, even during the day, but males do not stay with the same female
• when disturbed, nymphs and adults spray an odorant liquid which smells citronella. Adults also open quickly their orange wings in order to frighten and to fly away
• when they escape, adults are attracted by the light
• adults sometime move during the day
• females lay between 2 and 3 eggs per day, which are thrown at random on the ground

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Development

• incubation time (on wet peat at 18-20°C) is between 4 and 7 months
• males are adults (at 18-22°C) in 3.5 months, females in 3.5 to 4 months

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Breeding Notes

• I keep this species in a humid cage with a little bit of ventilation
• nymphs can be kept with adults
• I spray water on the ground about 2 times per week and sometime on the leaves
• this species likes a high level of humidity

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References

• Langlois & Bellanger, « Inventaire des Phasmatodea de Tobago », Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 117 (1), 2012: 91-110
• Phasmida Species Files  (www.phasmida.orthoptera.org)