Ramulus impiger "Cuc Phuong"

(by Bruno Kneubuehler)

General Notes

• Brunner v. Wattenwyl described this species in 1907 as Cuniculina impigra
• 2012 – this species is under taxonomical examination by Joachim
           Bresseel (Belgium)
• 2012 - first successful culture by Bruno Kneubuehler
• 2012 - this species has been distributed as Ramulus sp. "Cuc Phuong"
• 2012 - identified as Ramulus impigrum

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Origin

• Cuc Phuong, Vietnam

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Females

• very ornamental phasmids
• about 12.5 – 14.5 cm long
• body color with light brown, dark brown and black markings with many light dots
• legs reddish with black markings
• greenish eyes
• two distinct spines on the head
• very short antennae
• no wings (apterous)

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Males

• very delicate phasmids, with very long, thin legs
• about 12 – 13 cm long
• forelegs are about 16 – 17 cm long
• forelegs, antennae, upper side of meso- and metathorax, abdominal ending are black
• thighs of mid- and hindlegs are reddish-brown
• short antennae
• no wings (apterous)

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Nymphs

• about 19 mm long (L1)
• dark-grey with many light dots
• very short antennae
• by L4 it is quite easy to draw a distinction between ♀♂ (by the naked eye)

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Eggs

• about 3 x 2 mm
• light or dark brown, with white markings
• irregular, roundish shaped
• humpy surface
• matt
• no distinct capitulum present
• micropylar plate very small

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Food Plants

• bramble (Rubus sp.)
  is very well accepted by freshly hatched nymphs, older nymphs and adults
• no other food plants have been tested by me (so far)

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Behaviour

• nymphs as well as adults are rather passive during the day, and feed during the day
• matings occur mainly during the night, couples stay together for only a few hours
• a defensive spray has not been observed

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Developement

• incubation time (HH-incubation on slightly damp sand at 20 - 23 °C) is about 6 – 7 months  (F1)
• spread some dried  (!) 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 and females will be adult after about 3 months (at 20 – 23°C)
• females start laying eggs after about  3 – 4  weeks
• eggs are flinged away - with a swing of the abodmen
• about 20 – 25 eggs per female and week
• adults can live for several months

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Breeding Notes

• my general notes on how to breed phasmids are a integral part of this care sheet ...
• it is very easy to breed this 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+ % rH (for adults) and 75+ %  rH (for nymphs) seems to be fine
• nymphs can be kept in a Faunabox (or similar cages)
• move nymphs to a bigger cage as they grow bigger
• a cage of about 40 x 40 x 40 cm should be provided for 3 – 4 adult couples (or considerably larger if the cage also contains other species !)
• generally I advise to keep different phasmid species seperately (unfortunately, overcrowed cages are still too common ...)
• I have never sprayed nymphs, adults or their cage 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