Neophryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong"

Neophryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong"
Genus
Neophryganistria
Species
tamdaoensis (Bresseel & Constant, 2014)
Stock
"Da Krong"
CLP
537
Culture status
Probably lost
Foodplants
Bramble (Rubus spp.)
Breeding notes

(by Bruno Kneubuehler) 

 

General Notes

  • 2011 – this species is momentarily under taxonomical examination by Joachim Bresseel (Belgium)
  • 2012 – first successful culture by Bruno Kneubuehler (Switzerland)
  • 2012 – distributed as Phryganistria sp. „Da Krong"
  • 2014 - described as Phryganistria tamdaoensis by J. Bresseel and J. Constant
     
  • two cultures of this species from different locations are in culture:
    Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Tam Dao", Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong"
  • coloration of adult males of Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Da Krong" is significantly different from males of Phryganistria tamdaoensis "Tam Dao". Therefore these two cultures should be kept strictly seperate

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Origin

  • Da Krong,  Vietnam 

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Females

  • sturdy and very long phasmids
  • about 22 cm
  • upper side (dorsally) speckled with different brown
  • lower side (ventrally) greenish-brown
  • a fine red line runs alongside the lateral side of meso- and metathorax
  • legs with numerous spines and a reddish-brown stripe
  • antennae short
  • red inner side of the forelegs (in the area of the head)
  • cerci broad and much longer than the abdominal ending
  • subgenital plate just slightly longer than abdominal ending
  • praeopercular organ (the structure at the ventral end of the 7th abdominal segment, which serves as an anchorage for the male during mating) is very well developed
  • no wings (apterous)

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Males

  • sturdy and big phasmids
  • about 17 – 17.5 cm
  • thorax (dorsally and ventrally) grey-bluish with light brown areas
  • abdomen upper side (dorsally) is light brown
  • abdomen lower side (ventrally) is greenish-brown
  • legs with numerous, fine, black spines
  • legs are brown, with greenish-brown and reddish stripes
  • head light brown with a darker stipe across the eyes
  • antennae about ¾ of the forelegs
  • no wings (apterous)

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Nymphs

  • lenght (L1) 22 mm
  • coloration (L1) green-brown
  • antennae very short and brown
  • it is quite easy to draw a distinction between ♀♂ (by the naked eye) in L1

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Eggs

  • rather big
  • about 5 x 3 mm
  • olive-brown
  • elongate-oval
  • smooth surface
  • shiny
  • distinct, dark brown capitulum

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Food Plants

  • bramble (Rubus sp.)
    is very well accepted by freshly hatched nymphs (L1), older nymphs and adults
  • other plants have not been tested so far

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Behaviour

  • usually passiv during the day
  • if being touched, nymphs and adults try to escape. They either try to drop to the ground (nymphs and adult males) or try to crawl away (adult males and females)
  • matings are common during the night. And males stay with the female for several hours, sometimes even more than one day

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Developement

  • incubation time (HH-incubation on slightly damp sand at 20 - 23 °C) is about 5 months
  • spread some dry moss over the eggs - this will make it much easier for the nymphs to hatch unscathed and it also reduces mould growth to some extend
  • hatching ratio in F1 was very high (> 50%)
  • males will be adult after about 3 months (at 20 – 23°C), females after about 3.5 months
  • egglaying starts after about 2 – 3 weeks
  • about 35 eggs per female and per week
  • adults can live for several months

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Breeding Notes

  • it is  easy to breed this nice and big species
  • as the freshly hatched nymphs are already quite big, therefore the incubation container should be big enough
  • keep the nymphs in a cage with good ventilation, but take care that the humidity does not drop too low
  • a constantly wet paper towel on the floor of the cage helps raising humidity
  • a humidity level of about 60 – 65 % rH is sufficient
  • nymphs can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cages)
  • move nymphs to a bigger cage as they grow bigger
  • as the adults are very long, a cage of at least 40 x 40 x 70 cm should be provided for 2 - 3 couples
  • generally I advise to keep different phasmid species seperately (overcrowed cages are unfortunately still very common ...)
  • I have never sprayed nymphs or adults with water
  • make shure that nymphs, which are about to undergo their adult moult, do not find places in the cage which would not offer them enough space beneath to moult successfully