Isagoras ecuadoricus "San Miguel de Los Bancos"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Notes

• the taxonomic position of this species is subject to current research by Oskar Conle and Frank Hennemann
• 2008 - first successful culture of this species by Bruno Kneubuehler
• 2010 - distributed to other breeders by the false name Isagoras sp. "Los Banos"
• 2015 - the correct name for this species is Isagoras sp. "San Miguel de Los Bancos"
   

Origin

• Pachijal (San Miguel de Los Bancos, Pichincha, Ecuador)
   

Female

• 7 - 7,5 cm long
• colouration is variable - brown, brown-grey or brown-green
• females can fly very well too
   

Male

• small and thin phasmids
• about 5 - 5,5 cm long
• colouration is as variable as in females
• they fly very well, also over longer distances (at least several meters)
• males have a short life span, only 4 - 6 weeks (with some exceptions)
   

Nymphs (L1)

• green-brown
• antennae are longer than the fore legs
   

Eggs

• if the eggs were not yet in touch with water, then they have a smooth surface
• soon after they come in contact with water, they develop a furry appearance
• about 2,5 x 1,5 mm
• dark brown
• surface is matt
   

Food Plants

• nymphs (from L1) as well as adults feed very easily on bramble (Rubus sp.)
• considering the small size of this species,  they can eat quite a lot
• in Ecuador also plants of the family Piperaceae were accepted as food plants
   

Defensive Behaviour

• if young nymphs feel threatened, they can jump from their resting place and fall to the ground
• also adult males and females try to escape as soon as they feel threatened (opening the cage door might already trigger this behaviour)
• males can fly for quite a distance
• females (especially when full with eggs) usually fly only for a short distance
• upon landing, they freeze quickly
   

Breeding Notes

• an easy to breed and active species
• as it is a species with a hectic behaviour which quickly tries to escape, changing their food plants can tax the patience of the breeder
• cup-incubation (on slightly damp vermiculite) yields good hatching ratios
• hatching ratio in the 3^rd generation was more than 50 %
• incubation time at room temperatures (20 - 23°C) is about 3,5 months
• keep the nymphs in a cage with good ventilation
• take care that the humidity does not drop too low
• a constantly wet paper towel on the bottom of the cage helps raising humidity
• if the cage of the nymphs is overcrowded, then problems during moulting are quite frequent (and sometimes fatal)
• nymphs and adults can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cage)
• move nymphs to a bigger cage as they grow bigger
• I have never sprayed nymphs or adults with water
• males will be adult after about 2,5 months (at 20 - 23°C), females after 3 months
• females start to lay eggs after about 2 weeks
• eggs are just dropped to the ground