Neoclides buescheri "Bako"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Informations

• decribed by Francis Seow-Choen (SG) in 2016, named in honor after Thies Büscher (DE)
• formerly also called Neoclides sp. "Bako"
• provenience: Bako NP (Sarawak, Borneo)
• F1 CB culture by Thierry Heitzmann (Philippines)
• further taxonomical informations ➤ phasmida.speciesfile.org
• this is a pure culture, and serious breeders will avoid mixing it with cultures of a different provenience

Females

• medium- sized, stubby phasmids with an "twig-look"
• body length 9 - 10 cm
• dark brown, some females have white patches
• short forelegs (which are surprisingly similar to the forelegs of Melophasma antillarum)
• antennae longer than forelegs
• long, well-developed wings
• whole body is strongly granulated
• few spines on the head
• forelegs with fringes
• subgential plate shorter than the abdominal ending

Males

• slender compared to the females, still they also look knobby
• body length 6.5 cm
• antennae longer than forelegs
• brown, few males with white patches
• forewings have a knobby distension
   

Nymphs

• freshly hatched nymphs are dark brown with few white markings, and a brown abdomen
• about 17 mm
• antennae have a white tip
• 2 spines on the head
• on how to distinguish between male and female nymphs

Eggs

• 4 x 2.5 mm
• contrasty colored
• brown
• surface densly covered with short bristles

Food Plants

• Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
  freshly hatched F3+ nymphs easily took to Salal, but apple slices have to be offered too. It can take up to 1 week before they start to feed. More on the apple-slice-trick
• an apple juice coating on Salal works might also help to get them feeding on Salal. But let the apple juice dry up thoroughly
• Quercus ilex  (maybe other Quercus spp. too)
  well accepted by nymphs and adults  (info Frank Hennemann, Germany)
• Salal (Gaultheria shallon) with oak juice coating (for F1 and F2) 
  was well accepted by freshly hatched nymphs. More on the Coating Method
• it can take up to 7 days before the nymphs they start to feed
• even before their first moult, nymphs then accepted Salal without Coating
• young Mango leaves (Mangifera indica)
  moderately well accepted by nymphs and adults (Info by Thierry Heitzmann)
   

Breeding, Behaviour

• active mainly during the night
• they usually feign death when touched
• nymphs as well as adults have an astounding camouflage. They like to rest out on twigs during the day, mimicking a small brocken twig. In this position, the abdomen usually point against gravity
• eggs are glued - to twigs, other things in the cage and even on the floor
• about 1 clutch of eggs per female in two weeks
• about 15 - 30 eggs per clutch
• GET method for a natural incubation of glued eggs
• incubation (HH-method on slightly damp vermiculite) about 5 - 8 weeks at 20 - 23 °C
• eggs which are no more glued to any substrate should be covered with try fir needles. In order to avoid hatching problems
• nymphs hatch at daylight (early morning hours)
• a humidity of about 75 % seems to be good enough for this species
• one can spray them regularly with chlorine-free water, but the water should dry up again
• put twigs in the cage, adults need thicker twigs
• apart from the food plants, this species is easy to breed in my experience

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 it is (usually) better to choose a cage too big than too small
• a ventilator often supports good breeding results, as it seems to increase appetite and vitality
• provide enough light, but avoid direct sunlight (overheating)
• try to keep day temperatures below 25°C
• a nocturnal fall of temperature is healty for the phasmids
• do not spray too much, phasmids are no fish ! The water should dry up before you spray again
• do not use chlorinated water
• minimize disturbances (loud music, commotions, light at or during the night, opening up cages in the morning [often a moulting phase] ect.)