Genus
Stock
CLP
491
PSG
356
Culture status
In culture
Foodplants
Ferns
Breeding notes
(by Bruno Kneubuehler)
General Notes
- Oreophoetes topoense "Topo"
- 2008 - first successful culture by Bruno Kneubuehler
- 2008 - at first I have distributed this species as Oreophoetes peruana nigripes to other breeders, but it turned out that this identification was wrong....
- 2008 - distributed as Oreophoetes sp. "Rio Topo"
- 2009 - this species has been described in JOR (Journal of Orthoptera Reserach):
Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea IX: Oreophoetes topoense n. sp. — a New Colorful Walking-Stick from Central Ecuador (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae: Oreophoetini)
Oskar V. Conle, Frank H. Hennemann, Horst Käch and Bruno Kneubühler (Dezember 2009)
http://www.bioone.org/toc/orth/18/2
- Oreophoetes topoense "Tena"
- 2010 - a new stock from Tena is in culture (O. topoense "Tena")
_________________
Origin
- O. topoense "Rio Topo" - Rio Topo (Tunguragua) in Ecuador.
- O. topoense "Tena" - Tena (Ecuador)
- culture stocks from distant localities should be kept sepeart, even though there are no apparent differences
_________________
Females
- typical wingless stick insects - about 5,5 – 6 cm long
- beautifully coloured insects
- O. topoense "Rio Topo" - glossy yellow-black
- O. topoense "Tena" - glossy yellow-black and reddish-black specimens
- basically femeles are coloured quite similarly to females of O. peruana
_________________
Males
- typical wingless stick insects - about 4,5 – 5 cm long
- the colouration of male Oreophoetes sp. "Rio Topo, Ecuador" differs a lot from males of O. peruana
- they are glossy black all over the body, with some vivid red spot on the head and at the leg joints
- just after the adult moult, the males do still have yellow spots like the females. It takes some days until the red colour develops
_________________
Eggs
- lenticular shaped, dimensions about 2,5 x 2 mm
- dark brown with some ligher brown and even somewhat translucent spots. The outer rim is light brown
- they darken as the embryo inside grows older
- incubation at room temperatures (18 – 25°C) on a damp, but not wet substrate. Incubation time is about 3 – 4 months
_________________
Food Plants
- nymphs and adults readily accept fern from the forest
- I have not found any other food plant for them here
_________________
Breeding Notes
- cultivation of this species is easy - if you have access to enough fern which is their food plant
- freshly hatched nymphs are already almost black with yellow spots
- keep nymphs as well as adults in a fairly airy cage and keep the humidity high with wet paper towels on the cage bottom
- I am spraying neither nymphs nor adults with water
- they grow up quite fast - males mature in about 3 months, females in about 4 months (at room temperatures)
- some 2 weeks after their final moult, females start laying eggs, about 2-3 a day. They just let them drop to the ground
- mating takes place at night, males do not stay with a female for a long time
- they can be seen active during the day too
- from the prothoracic glands they can produce a milk-white defensive secretion when they feel threatened. This secretion smells like old tires and probably causes a (non-permanent ?) burning sensation when it comes in contact with the mucous membranes in the mouth or in the eyes. Thus one should be careful when handle them