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Ask Professor Phasmid... here to help! |
Hello. My name is Professor Phasmid and I will be answering your questions about pet bugs on this page. To ask a question, please click on this link: prof@small-life.co.uk A selection of questions will be answered every week; unfortunately I am unable to email you personally. Be sure to look out for my "exploding myths" sections too! Updated 1st February 2010 |
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What big stick insects for sale do you have at the moment?
We have two large species of stick insect: the Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum) and the Malaysian (Heteropteryx dilatata) available now. In the future we hope to have the 33cm long Australian Titan stick insects (Acrophylla wuelfingi).
I have Giant Sabah stick insects (Trachyaretaon brueckneri). Do females die after laying eggs? Are males aggressive, the remaining male is thriving and allows the babies to clamber on him. Is this safe?
As with other species of stick insect, the females lay a few eggs every day for their adult lives (usually several months, although premature deaths are relatively common in this species). The males are not aggressive and so it is OK for the nymphs to clamber on him.
I am currently getting some Indian stick insects, which other species can be kept in the same tank? Also can leaf insects be kept in the same tank?
Indian stick insects and many leaf insects need a tall airy cage, such as the BSP, and so a tank is not recommended for either because it is too squat and has no side ventilation. You can mix Indian stick insects and leaf insects in the same BSP. And you could add some Thailand and Pink Winged stick insects in there as well.
How many newly hatched baby Indian stick insects can you keep in a QBOX or equivalent space?
A QBOX will comfortably house up to twelve newly hatched Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). As they grow they can be thinned out, so keep a maximum of six second-instar nymphs in a QBOX. Second-instar means the stick insects have completed their first skin-change.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Loads of new species of stick insect are being discovered at the moment." |
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| WRONG! New species of stick insect are being discovered all the time, but at a low rate. Some of the alleged "new" species have already been bred in captivity before and some unscrupulous people are re-naming existing species in an attempt to pass them off as new species! | |
Are Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects also called Giant Prickly Stick Insects? If so, in one of your comments it says feed them on Eucalyptus gunnii leaves when they are born then use bramble leaves. Where can I get Eucalyptus gunnii leaves from and what will happen if I don't manage to get any in time?
Stick insects should be named after their country of origin, but yes, "giant prickly" is another name for the Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects, Latin species name Extatosoma tiaratum. These stick insects and have leafy-looking legs and curl their tails up. When born, they are black with orange heads and are very active. If fed with Eucalyptus gunnii leaves initially the vast majority will live. However, losses are significantly higher if bramble is used, typically the nymphs dying after 7-10 days. Eucalyptus gunnii trees are becoming more common around towns and in gardens and have distinctive silvery green thick leaves.
I have some stick insects which I have had for a month and I was wondering how long they will live for. I am a bit worried because one of the stick insects doesn't move along my hand much and just sticks on the palm of my hand whereas the other moves. Is there anything I should do? I hope shining the lamp over them isn't having a bad effect on them.
I hope you're not permanently shining a light over them. Stick insects do need a daily cycle of light (natural daylight is best) and dark. If your stick insects are fully grown they may live for up to seven months, it all depends how old they were when you got them. Are you housing them in a proper cage and giving them enough fresh food and water? The behaviour of stick insects does vary between individuals and so it is possible that one of your stick insects is naturally more active than the other.
I am thinking of getting some stick insects (black beauty), I wanted to know what they eat and are black beauties the best stick insect to start with?
"Black beauty" stick insects are a small black variety from Peru and are usually called the Peruvian Black stick insect, Latin name Peruphasma schultei. They do best in a tall airy cage such as the BSP. They are fussy eaters, only eating privet leaves, and so it is essential you have a privet hedge so you can feed them. Rather than these small stick insects, I would recommend the Indian stick insect as being a better type to start with because Indian stick insects, Carausius morosus are easier to feed (eating privet and bramble) and better to handle.
I got some stick insects cheap off ebay and was told they were Diapherodes gigantea and to feed them bramble. They all died. Since then I found out they need eucalyptus. Is this why they died?
Unfortunately this large lime green stick insect from Grenada, does need to eat eucalyptus in order to thrive. As with everything, apparent "bargains" can prove to be costly mistakes and unfortunately in this case your stick insects have perished because you were given the wrong information.
I have recently had a batch of Thailand stick insects hatch out and was wondering how do I tell if they are male or female when they are only about a month to two months old?
Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) are quite small when they hatch and even after a couple of skin changes it is tricky to differentiate between the genders. At that size the females tend to be fatter, but of course you can get some fat looking males and some thinner females. Another difference is the underside of the abdomen, at the tip. The male can have a dark bump there but sometimes it is green and so is difficult to see unless your eyesight is very good.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "A 30cm spring up mesh habitat is suitable for keeping stick insects." |
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| WRONG! Stick insects should be kept in cages at least 46cm high. This is because when they grow, stick insects slide downwards out of their old skins and need a lot of height to be able to do this. Keeping stick insects in cages that are only 30cm high is not recommended because they won't have enough room to grow properly. | |
I was a little worried about my Indian stick insects. One hatched a few hours ago and she can't seem to get her leg out of her egg and I was wondering whether there is anything I can do to help her?
There is no problem if an Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) has an eggshell attached to a leg. She simply carries it around like a "ball and chain" and the eggshell is discarded at the first skin-change. Do not try to intervene because this may result in the stick insect panicking and throwing her leg off.
I have four Indian stick insects which are about two months old and was having difficulty getting privet for them so bought a potted ivy plant. I came home today to find one upside down and unable to turn around so have now put her back on her feet and she is struggling to walk.
Unfortunately the potted ivy plant contains pesticides in the soil and these have poisoned your stick insect (lack of co-ordination is the classic symptom) and so she will die. It is so important to never put bought potted plants inside the cage because most are grown in soils containing pesticides. These poisons are taken up by the plant from the roots, up through the stems and into the leaves, which the stick insects, unable to detect the danger, then eat. If you cannot obtain privet, bramble (blackberry) leaves are a good alternative and Fresh Cut Bramble can be bought from Small-Life Supplies.
I was wondering if Macleays Spectres get on with Jungle Nymphs ?
No, because they require different conditions. Macleays Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) need large airy cages, whereas Jungle Nymphs, which are usually called Malaysian stick insects (Heteropteryx dilatata) need less ventilated conditions. To achieve less-ventilated conditions, just attach the Ventilation Control Panel around the outside of the cage.
I live in Norway and am getting some Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). What leaves could I feed them on?
There are lots of people in Norway keeping Indian stick insects. Lemon balm is widely available in Norway and is a suitable food for Indian stick insects.
Would stick insects and African land snails be all right in a tank together?
No. Stick insects need a tall cage, at least 46cm high with mesh sides that they can get a good foothold on and climb. African land snails need a smooth-sided container that is easy to clean and with reduced ventilation. The Professional Snail Centre lifts upwards, leaving the base behind, so it is easy to clean.
My daughter has just received five 'Black beauty' Peruvian stick insects. Please can you tell me whether they can eat bramble as well as privet leaves?
No. The stick insects your daughter has are usually called the Peruvian Black stick insects and have the Latin name Peruphasma shultei. They only eat privet leaves. These stick insects like an airy cage and do well in the Bug Studio Professional.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "You can't suddenly change the diet of Indian stick insects." |
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| WRONG! Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are very adaptable and so can easily switch from, for example, a diet of privet leaves to a diet of bramble leaves. Like all animals, some individual stick insects can be fussy, but the majority will eat the alternative leaves without hesitation. | |
I see that you provide fresh cut bramble by post, I was wondering if you supply privet and guava leaves too?
Small-Life regularly sends out Fresh Cut Bramble by first class post. Most stick insects eat bramble leaves and a generous amount is dispatched. We don't supply fresh privet sprigs because cut privet does not last as long as cut bramble, and the Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) that eat privet, will also eat bramble leaves. Guava leaves are fed to leaf insects; we don't breed leaf insects and so do not grow guava.
Would keeping and breeding Indian stick insects trigger my asthma?
Stick insects are not furry and so should not trigger asthma attacks. I often recommend that stick insects are ideal pets for people with asthma. In fact a few years back, the publication "A is for Asthma" carried a feature promoting the keeping of stick insects to people who have asthma.
I don't understand your comment about not feeding crickets to mantids. Crickets are grasshoppers right? Where's the harm?
No, crickets are not grasshoppers. There are different types of cricket, the "bush-crickets" look a bit similar to grasshoppers but there are major anatomical differences, such as the fact bush-crickets have long antennae whereas grasshoppers have short antennae. However, the most important difference regarding their suitability as food for mantids is the fact that grasshoppers are vegetarian whereas all crickets can eat insects. This means whilst it is safe to give a mantid a grasshopper to eat, it is unwise to give a mantid a cricket to eat because the cricket can attack and eat the mantid. We often receive calls from people very upset because their pet mantid has been killed by a cricket sold to them as "live food".
Is in-breeding a problem for giant African land snails (Achatina fulica)?
We are not noticing any problems. Our Giant African Land Snails continue to grow well and have nicely patterned shells. In-breeding is much less of a problem for lower organisms such as insects and snails than it is with more complex animals such as humans.
When should I order for Christmas? I'd like an AFC cage and some Thailand stick insects for my son.
The AFC cage is proving to be very popular and so you should order now and request "Christmas delivery" on the order form. We'll put one aside for you and then let you know in advance what day the items shall be delivered. We'll delay dispatch till nearer Christmas; the latest we dispatch stick insects is the week before Christmas.
I have two Sabah thorny stick insects and both are still relatively small in size (approx 5 - 6cm). When and where do they lay eggs and how do I spot them? I have them in a mesh cage and feed them bramble and there is a thick layer of kitchen roll on the bottom as a substrate.
Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) are one of the smaller types of stick insect. When adult, they mate and then the female buries her dark grey/brown oval eggs in a pot of dry sand. Sabah stick insects prefer less-ventilated conditions and so you need to modify your mesh cage to block off some of the air-flow. Stick insects do best in clean conditions and so the floor covering should be replaced weekly. There is no need for a thick layer of kitchen roll; a single layer will do.
My latest generation of Indian stick insects are about three months old and are living with their adult "sisters" in a BSP. They are fed privet & bramble which is misted daily. Whereas all previous ecdysis has been completed successfully, their recent moult has been difficult - two have lost a leg and one died due to not being able to climb out of its skin. Could this be related to them being "misted" too enthusiastically whilst we were away & being too humid for a week or so? The adults also look rather brown.
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) vary in colour, but generally most should be green. If the majority are brown it indicates they are too humid. So I'd advise misting the leaves less generously and less frequently. If the conditions are too humid, this will cause problems with skin-changes, as you have observed.
I'd really like to buy my sister a BSP cage but money's tight and I've only got 22 pounds. I live in Grantham and so am quite near to you; I was wondering do you ever sell any cut-price cages?
Yes, we do have some cut-price BSP cages. These are new but are reduced in price because they are slightly marked. On Sunday 6th December between 2pm and 6pm we will have an Open Day and will be selling these cut-price BSP cages at just £20. We're even including a free Sprig Pot! If you'd like to reserve one to collect, please phone Small-Life Supplies on 01949 842446.
My two grandchildren will be visiting for Christmas and I'd like to buy Thomas an Indian stick insect kit and and Lucy an African snail kit . Could these items be delivered Christmas week? If not, when do you start taking bookings for your Christmas Collection day on 20th December?
All living creatures are sent by express delivery and we finish deliveries the week before Christmas. We do not dispatch living creatures during Christmas week because we are concerned that they may be subject to delay due to the large volumes of parcels being processed. So, we could deliver the kits to you the week before Christmas, or you are welcome to collect the items on Sunday 20th December. We are already making appointments and so please phone 01949 842446 as soon as possible so we can book you in and reserve the items for you.
I enjoyed your Open Day yesterday and I have now decided I'd like an AFC cage for my husband for Christmas. Will you be having another Open Day nearer to Christmas or would I need to have it sent?
This is a very busy time for us because lots of people want to buy insect cages and kits for Christmas. And so we will be having two Open Days in December; the dates are the 6th and 20th December. At the Open Days we will have lots of BSP cages and also the premier aluminium AFC cage. I'd recommend calling us to reserve an AFC because these do look very nice and are proving to be popular with people who want to treat themselves and loved ones for Christmas.
Are there any different food plants for Borneo stick insects and Sabah stick insects apart from bramble?
Bramble (blackberry) leaves seem to be the best foodplant for these species of stick insect. There are lots of types of bramble; both Borneo and Sabahs seem to prefer the bramble with thick thorny stems that are two-tone in colour (half green, half purple) and with thick leaves. These stick insects do not do as well if given the thinner, more shiny, bramble leaves to eat.
We have just had a baby leaf insect hatch and are wondering if it is OK to have it in the cage with the adult phasmid. Do adults eat the babies?
Baby leaf insects can be kept in the same cage as the adults. Adult stick and leaf insects do not eat their young. Most leaf insects do best in a large airy cage such as the BSP.
Can you keep Indian stick insect nymphs in a faunarium with giant African snails?
No, they need to be housed separately because they require different conditions. Newly hatched Indian stick insect nymphs do best in the QBOX, larger Indian stick insect nymphs do best in a large airy cage such as the BSP. Giant African Land Snails need a Water Dish and a cage that is designed to be easily cleaned; the Professional Snail Centre is the proper housing for snails.
I have a lot of leaf insect eggs which have been hatching over the last couple of weeks. They won't eat the bramble and hawthorn I give them and die after a few days. I see them drinking but don't know what to do.
Most leaf insects do best on guava leaves and so you need to try and get hold of those. Most types of bramble are not suitable for leaf insects long-term. Some types of bramble are tolerated by larger leaf insects, but guava is a better foodplant.
Is it possible to keep leaf insects (Phyllium siccifolium) in the same tank as Indian stick insects?
Leaf insects and Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) both do best in a well-ventilated cage, such the Bug Studio Professional (BSP). They can be mixed together. A tank is not the best environment for either or both of them because it is not airy or tall enough.
We have seven stick insects of varying size. The smallest seems to have lost two legs on one side. I'm sure I'm not imagining it - I think she may be growing stumps back? Is this possible, and will she end up with two functioning legs?
Yes, stick insects can regrow legs, this process is called leg regeneration. The legs do not grow back gradually; instead they appear following a skin-change. At first the regenerated legs are tiny, but they get larger with each successive skin-change that the stick insect undergoes.
I have a lot of Indian stick insect eggs from my laying adults, I don't know what to do with them as I don't have space for all of them in my cage. What should I do?
In Nature, stick insects lay so many eggs because most will be eaten by predators. So you can mimic Nature and feed the eggs to birds, fish and reptiles. Another option is to distribute the surplus eggs to friends. If you still have spare eggs, you can stop them from developing by putting them in a bowl of hot water, soon after they have been laid. Do not save too many eggs because it is important that you are able to look after the stick insects properly; it would be unkind to be overcrowding your stick insects.
Thank you so much for your great advice on cleaning snail slime off the Professional Snail Centre with lemon juice. It works a treat! Why does lemon juice do the job so much better than washing up liquid?
Dried snail slime contains calcite (calcium carbonate). This is broken down quickly by the acid in lemon juice. Detergent is designed to be oleophilic to fats and greases and hydrophilic to water, but is not acidic.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Buy twelve Australian Macleays Spectre stick insect eggs now and look forward to them hatching." |
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| WRONG! Such adverts are very misleading because they give no indication if the eggs have been fertilised and when they are due to hatch (it could take as long as six months). Also, it does not make it clear that this is not an easy species to hatch out. Even if you are lucky and see some hatchlings, it is important to feed Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects on Eucalyptus gunnii leaves for the first few weeks of their lives. (They can be switched to bramble later but need eucalyptus initially). | |
The Professional Snail Centre is great - I can't believe how active my snails now are! Those grey Liners are great too - will I be able to buy more when I need to?
Since the launch of the Professional Snail Centre last week, many customers have been amazed at how active their snails have become. Instead of being stuck at the bottom in peat, the snails are climbing the sides and resting under the lift-off roof. You will be able to but more soft, absorbent grey Liners.
With the BSP cage having holes in all sides and not one side with plain clear plastic I am concerned the viewing will be limited looking through the holes? Is this true?
No, actually the visibility is superb. At the London insect show last weekend, we had lots of BSPs, with insects in, for sale and many people were very complimentary about them. Indeed the contrast between how easily you can see the stick insects in a BSP compared to how difficult it is to see them in one of those black netting pop-up enclosures couldn't have been more obvious. The proof of the BSPs popularity is reflected in sales; we sold every single one of the BSPs we took to sell!
I have 2 Pink winged and 5 Indians in the same cage (BSP). I have 4 Sabahs in another cage (BSP) and two Jungle Nymphs in a BXL. My partner has just bought 2 leaf insects small nymphs and 2 Macleays Spectre nymphs. Can any of these breeds be put together?
It is best to keep the Jungle nymphs, also known as the Malaysian stick insects, separately from other types, and so keep these by themselves in the BXL. Leaf insects like a lot of air-flow and so you could put these in the BSP housing the Pink Winged and Indian stick insects. That cage is then full. You'd really need another BSP to house the Macleays Spectre because this variety gets large and the males like to fly.
Please could you tell me for how long a female Malaysian Heteropteryx dilatata stops feeding before a final moult - mine has stopped feeding for almost two weeks and she still hasn't moulted - I'm slightly anxious something has gone wrong!
Two weeks is a very long time and so I think you need to give her one flick on the head to trigger the moulting process. This is an extreme action which should only be done in these desperate situations. I have had great success with this technique as have others who have employed it.
Can you keep Thailand stick insects in a Bug-XL-Cage?
Yes, Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) like a well-ventilated cage and do well in the BXL. You could also keep the New Thailand (Baculum sp), Pink Winged (Sipyloidea sipylus) and Indian (Carausius morosus) in there, but obviously not too many in one cage.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Don't bother spending money on snail equipment, they manage fine in cheap storage boxes." |
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| WRONG! Pet snails deserve to be kept properly, and so thought should be given to how to house them properly. Cheap storage boxes have not been designed as snail homes and are not ideal. They are difficult to see into and the moulded design of the storage box does not provide the correct ventilation or facilitate easy cleaning. The Professional Snail Centre has crystal clear sides, a detachable base and has been specially designed for maintaining healthy and active snails. | |
I've been looking at various stick insect cages and want to buy the BSP. I live in Yorkshire and wondered if the BSP could be delivered to my granddaughter in Surrey?
Yes, this is easy to arrange. Just fill in your granddaughter's address as the delivery address when you order.
What is the difference between the Parapachymorpha spinosa stick insect and the Parapachymorpha zomproi stick insect?
Both these species originate from Thailand but look completely different. The Parapachymorpha spinosa is commonly called the Thailand Miniature stick insect and, as the name suggests, are very small stick insects. Their eggs are orange and tiny, being only 1mm in diameter! The Parapachymorpha zomproi is a much larger brown stick insect, with striking black markings, pale legs and leafy protuberances on the legs. This is an easy species to breed and so is becoming more commonly available.
I'm from London and would love to see your cages to help me decide which to buy. Does Small-Life do presentations in London?
Yes, Small-Life Supplies does do presentations around the country, including pet shop promotions, university presentations and various exhibitions, ranging from large trade fairs to green festivals. Small-Life Supplies will have a stall at the forthcoming insect fair, to be held at Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey. This is an indoor event on Saturday 17th Oct 2009, starting at 11am. This event is open to the public, there is an entry fee, and there are lots of stalls selling insect books, equipment and livestock.
When keeping Borneo stick insects together with Sabah stick insects should I put a dish of water in for the Sabah stick insects or could this harm the Borneo stick insects?
Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) only really need to drink from the Water Dish when they are adults and so you should delay putting it in the BSP until the Sabah stick insects are fully grown. Borneo stick insects (Phenacephorus cornucervi) can drown easily and so when it is time to use the Water Dish for the Sabahs, only fill it one third full so there is no risk of the Borneo stick insects drowning.
I am a second grade teacher and have a number of walking sticks that my class will be caring for and studying. I want them to separate the eggs from the waste and other debris. Do the children need to wear gloves when doing this?
The best way to separate stick insect eggs from the droppings and waste (this mixture is called frass) is to use a fine artist's paintbrush. Carefully flick the eggs into a QBOX and put on a label with the species name and date the eggs were laid (to help you predict when they'll hatch). Gloves are not necessary and the children would learn more by handling the eggs and paying attention to the texture of the eggs. Obviously the children should wash their hands with soap and water after sorting eggs; this is standard hygiene and should be normal procedure after handling any creature or its eggs.
I am a first year student, my course is biology, and I want to find more about insecticides. I thought The Bug File might be useful; what do you think?
The Bug File covers lots of insect topics, and provides useful overviews of complex issues such as insecticides. At university, it can be easy to get bogged down in detail without really understanding the bigger picture. So, yes, The Bug File is a very useful aide to university students such as yourself because the topics are written in a clear concise manner by experts. The Bug File also contains the latest news, for example on the insecticide imidacloprid, and so reading it will give you the edge over your fellow students.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "The best medium for teaching insects to students is the television." |
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| WRONG! Although TV can be a good educational tool, particularly in depicting close-up recordings of insect behaviour and anatomy, it is not the best tool. The best way of learning about insects is to experience direct observation of the actual living insects in front of you. It is essential for students to have "hands-on" experience with living insects, and not just learn about them from pictures and video. | |
It's my girlfriend's 21st coming up and I want to treat her to a really nice stick insect cage. She's got Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects at the moment so I'd need to buy a large stick insect cage - which one would you recommend for about 200 quid?
The AFC is a great stick insect cage. It is large and has a polished aluminium frame which makes it look really smart and expensive. It's easy to get into because it has a front opening lockable door and the visibility is excellent. It has two aluminium mesh sides and the price suits your budget. The AFC is supplied ready built and so you could wrap it up nicely as a gift.
I have kept Indian stick insects for a while in my BSP and feed them on privet as I can get this very easily and was wondering if there are any other type of stick insects I can keep in with my Indians who will also eat privet? I read that Peruvian Black stick insects (Peruphasma schultei) eat privet and like well ventilated cages so can I add these in with my Indian stick insects?
You are correct; both Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) and Peruvian Black stick insects (Peruphasma schultei) eat privet leaves (Ligustrum vulgare). And both these types like well-ventilated conditions and so do well in the BSP. You could mix them together, provided you only had a few in the BSP. Do not put too many together because when they are stressed the Peruvian Black stick insects can emit a chemical defensive spray which can irritate Indian stick insects and people.
I'm so confused because I'm getting conflicting advice from the forums on snail care. I'm going to be getting some Giant African Land Snails and I wanted to ask the experts if the snails need a heat mat and would a wooden vivarium with a sliding glass door would be suitable? Someone mentioned they're waiting for the PSC snail cage that Small-Life do but I can't find it on your site.
The PSC cage is our new cage specially designed for snails. It will be launched within the next couple of weeks and so that is why it isn't on the website yet. Giant African Land Snails don't need heat mats and any container with a sliding door should be avoided because if a large snail rests on the join you won't be able to get the door open. Our PSC cage makes it easy for the snails to rest under the roof; this is where they choose to settle, and the PSC has crystal clear sides, floor level ventilation and special absorbent Liners.
I have eight stick insects which I bought as Indian stick insects. I have three females and five males. There are definitely five males. They are brown, small, skinny and all happily mate with my three females! My females are green and much larger than the males. My females have started to lay eggs and they look nothing like Indian Stick insects eggs! I now realise they probably are not Indian. I attach a photo - which species are they? Have I still got rare males whatever their species?
Your photo shows that you have Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii). There is a whole section on this species in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd, including close-up photos of the eggs. Males and females occur in approximately equal numbers in this species. You are correct in thinking that the larger green insects are the females and the thinner active ones are the males. Thailand stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves.
My cat got to two of my stick insects and I want to do as much as I can to save them. They have stopped eating, I have given them water through an eye dropper. Is there something I can give them in fluid form to give nutrition? My largest stickie appears to have been injured on the lower 1/3 of her tail area. It appears flattened, split, and there was black liquid seeping out of it. I left it to form a crust. Her tail is now thin and bent. She is not moving much. I have offered her young eucalyptus leaves to no avail.
Unfortunately cats do like to eat stick insects and so cat owners need to have a lockable robust stick insect cage (such as the BC, BXL, AFC, PCC, LDC) that is cat-proof. Stick insects can recover from minor injuries but not from serious ones. The best action is to give them 10% sugar solution through your eye dropper. You make this up by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar to 9 teaspoons of warm water, mixing up and letting it cool before giving some of it to your stick insects. This solution gives the stick insects some strength but it is important they eat leaves soon. If the stick insect is badly injured, which your largest one seems to be, it may choose not to eat and will die in a few days. However, it is still worth giving her the sugar solution to try and help her.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Keep Giant African Land Snails in a tank with a substrate of soil so they can lay eggs there." |
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| WRONG! When keeping Giant African Land Snails (Achatina fulica) it is important not to have lots of moist soil because this will encourage the snails to mate and lay eggs which you then need to dispose of. It is far better not to provide soil because then the snails will not lay eggs because they have nowhere moist to bury them! When you do want your snails to reproduce, simply put a dish of moist soil in their container and they will bury their eggs in there. | |
Is the best place to buy stick insects from a pet shop, a company that breeds them or from someone selling them cheap on ebay?
The important point is to buy healthy stick insects from somewhere that will provide good care information as well. So a company that breeds stick insects is the best option, and companies that have been in business for a long time and have a good reputation are the best. Of course such companies can also supply reputable pet shops and so the pet shop option should also be considered, but be very wary if they try and sell you unnecessary equipment, such as humidity gauges, thermometers etc. Buying off ebay can be risky; private sellers are not covered by "distance selling regulations" and often have little knowledge of the stick insects. Don't be tempted by cheap stick insect eggs for sale; there is no guarantee they will hatch.
In my travels I've observed millipedes and cockroaches climbing with ease, yet various sites say they are ground dwelling creatures, surely this is incorrect?
You are correct, millipedes and cockroaches like to climb. That is why we recommend the BSP as suitable housing for them. It is a great shame that so many people are told to keep these creatures in tanks because the sides are too smooth for them to get a foothold and so they spend all their time languishing at the bottom; not by choice but because they are forced to.
I want to keep different species of stick insect together. I have Thailand Winged and Borneo; what else could I house in the BSP with Ventilation Control attached?
Guadeloupe stick insects (Lamponius guerni) would be an excellent addition. These stick insects also eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and look quite different from the species you already have. Small-Life Supplies has some Guadeloupe stick insects for sale now.
We have had about 30 Indian stick eggs hatch, however about 20 of the baby stick insects have died. Are we doing something wrong? They are kept in a very well ventilated cage.
Don't keep baby Indian stick insects in a very well ventilated cage! For the first month of their lives Indian stick insects do best in an enclosed container, such as a QBOX. They should be transferred to a well-ventilated cage, such as the BSP, after their first skin-change, which occurs when they are about three weeks old. Also, baby Indian stick insects need to drink water and so when placing a fresh privet or bramble (blackberry) leaf in the QBOX, make sure that it is slighly wet so they can drink the moisture off the surface of the leaf.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Macleays Spectre stick insects often die from "sudden death" syndrome." |
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| WRONG! Macleays Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) can succumb to an air-borne virus that causes them to die prematurely. However, this death is not quick; the stick insect succumbs to paralysis of the end of its body and drags its floppy body around for up to a week before dying. | |
What types of stick insects for sale do you have at the moment? I want some more for my classroom; I've had Indian stick insects before but fancy something a bit different?
Small-Life Supplies breeds huge numbers of stick insects and currently have Pink Winged stick insects for sale, also Thailand stick insects for sale and Thailand Winged stick insects for sale, as well as other species. More details are on the "schools topic" page of the website www.small-life.co.uk All these stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves; gather these yourself or you can buy Fresh Cut Bramble from us.
What do Macleay's Spectre stick insects eat? Can I keep two Macleay's Spectre stick insects together in one cage?
Newly hatched Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) eat eucalyptus leaves. These stick insects eat Eucalyptus gunnii leaves and can continue doing so all their lives, or you can switch them over to bramble leaves (Rubus discolor) when they are two months old. As with all stick insects, they like the company of other stick insects and so you should keep at least two in one cage.
Another parent had Indian stick insects, kept in a large (~40cm high), globe-shaped glass jar with cling film pierced with holes securing the top. At the bottom of the jar was a thin layer of soil. I was attracted to his method because it seemed to minimise disruption to the insects from replacing bramble and be low maintenance. Having read your site I realise you would not view this as ideal; but the stick insects still laid eggs.
Part of the enjoyment of keeping stick insects is to be able to handle them and so a cage with convenient access (such as the BSP, BC or BXL) is preferable to fiddling about with clingfilm. Indeed Indian stick insects benefit from being handled (they learn to recognise you from the sensory pads in their feet) and so your aim of "minimising disruption" to them is misplaced. Egg production is not a measure of a stick insect's well-being; indeed their egg production increases when they are stressed (the classic reproductive survival strategy). A soil substrate is not good because it is then very difficult to keep the surroundings clean and control the number of eggs that are being produced.
Do stick insects shed or shred their skins?
Stick insects shed their skins. This process of shedding or sloughing their skin, is how most insects grow. The scientific word for this process is "ecdysis". Many people know that snakes grow by shedding their skins but do not realise that insects grow like this too. The term "shred" is just a misprint that someone has made and others have blindly copied!
I found a large green caterpillar on a birch tree but it has lots of legs. I've counted 14 stubby legs as well as the claspers at the back and the six pointed legs at the front. What type is it? I live in Lincolnshire, UK.
Congratulations! You have found a relatively rare Birch sawfly larva. It will soon pupate and will emerge as a black sawfly with four wings. Of course it isn't a real fly (these have two wings) but is a sawfly (sub-order Symphyta) belonging to the order Hymenoptera.
Can I leave my stick insects for when we go on holiday? Will they be OK?
Yes, stick insects can be left for up to ten days whilst you go on holiday. Just stock up the cage with several Sprig Pots of bramble before you go and relocate the cage to a cool room in your house. This is because stick insects reduce their activity when they are cooler and so are less likely to run out of food. Another useful tip is to give them extra food in the week before you go away so they are well fed before the holiday starts.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Stick insects eat lots of different leaves." |
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| WRONG! Stick insects will only thrive long term on certain leaves. Most stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) and Peruvian Black stick insects (Peruphasma schultei) eat green privet leaves. Another Peruvian stick insect (Oreophoetes peruana) only eats certain fern leaves. The Reunion Island stick insect (Rhaphiderus scabrosus) and the Javanese stick insect (Orxines macklottii) eat rhododendron leaves. So claims that they will do well by eating grass and other leaves from the garden are false. | |
Do male Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) lay eggs?
No. Adult male Indian stick insects are "true males" and so do not lay eggs. These males are extremely rare, only occurring once in every 10000 females. The race is on to photograph Indian stick insects mating.
I know that Giant African Land Snails are hermaphrodite, my question is how many eggs do they lay and what do I do with the eggs I don't want to hatch?
Giant African Land Snails are hermaphrodite so after mating they both lay eggs (about thirty eggs each). The eggs are large, round and white. Snail eggs need to be kept moist to develop and so if you don't want this to happen, just spread them out on kitchen roll and they will quickly dry out inside and stop developing.
How is it best to separate stick insect eggs from poo? Is it true that if you put them in water, one will float and the other will sink?
The easiest way to sort the frass (mixture of eggs and droppings) is to use a fine artist's paintbrush and flick the eggs into a QBOX. Some stick insect eggs do float but it is not a good idea to put them in water because this will soon kill them. The stick insect egg has a permeable outer membrane (under a microscope you can see the tiny holes) and air enters through here. When it is wet, the holes are blocked by water and so the embryo suffocates because air cannot enter.
We're getting some stick insects for school. We'll be getting the AFC cage and Indian stick insects to start with. If they're a success can we buy just the stick insects from Small-Life Supplies at a later date to mix in with them?
Yes, anyone can buy just the stick insects from us providing they already have a proper stick insect cage. Indian stick insects are a good choice; later on you could add Pink Winged stick insects and/or Thailand stick insects. Small-Life Supplies sell stick insects in packs of two or four; they are not sold on their own because they like company.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Keep Giant African Land Snails in a tank with soil at the bottom." |
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| WRONG! Giant African Land Snails prefer to rest under the lid of the container and water drips off their bodies onto their pointed shells and onto the floor. So having soil at the bottom is a really bad idea because it soon becomes wet and smelly. Instead, a soft absorbent Liner should line the floor of the container and this should be replaced weekly. | |
I want to buy a good set up for stick insects and wanted more details of the AFC cage that's on your current price-list. Is it sent ready assembled and would it house two Jungle Nymph stick insects?
The AFC cage is a new cage, similar in size to the BXL cage but is more expensive because it has an aluminium framework and continuous seals around all the panels. The AFC is dispatched ready assembled. It is ideal for housing and displaying stick insects, including two large Malaysian stick insects (Heteropteryx dilatata) - these stick insects are sometimes called "Jungle Nymphs". Details of the AFC will appear on the website soon, when it is officially launched.
Do you get British stick insects?
No, there are no stick insects that are native to Britain. However, in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles there are some naturalised New Zealand stick insects, which are the descendants of those that came over on cargo ships about a hundred years ago.
I heard a "moth woman" on radio 2 say that moths are the same as butterflies. Surely that's not right; don't they hold their wings differently and what about the fact that moths fly at night?
To say that moths and butterflies are the same is "dumbing down". As well as the differences you mention, the other difference is that butterflies have a nobble at the end of their antennae whereas moths do not. Of course there is the odd exception to these differences, for example you can get day-flying moths, but as a general rule, those are the three main differences. Moths and butterflies are classified as belonging to the same "order", called Lepidoptera. Stick insects are classified as belonging to the "order" Phasmida.
Our Pink winged stick insect has laid eggs and a couple have hatched so far. One of them broke its leg on the way out of the egg - and we were wondering if this is likely to repair itself when it sheds its skin, or if it is something more serious.
By "broken leg" do you mean it has actually snapped or is just looking bent? If the latter, it should straighten out at the first skin-change. If part of the leg is missing, it will not repair and the stick insect needs to lose the leg completely so that it can grow another leg. So it may decide to do this, if it has not done so already.
I have kept Indian stick insects for many years, I am thinking of getting some black beauty (Peruphasma schultei) stick insects but have heard they can spray a defensive chemical. Are they safe to keep and handle and can they be kept with the Indian stick insects?
Peruphasma schultei are also called the Peruvian black stick insects. (Stick insects are usually referred to by their country of origin). We do not breed this species because some people and other stick insects can react to their chemical defensive spray. There are lots of other species that are safe to keep and handle and would mix with your Indian stick insects, for example Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) and Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) . These species eat bramble (blackberry) leaves.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Some stick insects are parthogenic." |
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| WRONG! The word for all-female reproduction is parthenogenetic. Someone in the distant past has misspelt this word and so it keeps getting copied and misspelt as parthogenic when it should be parthenogenetic, pronounced parth-eno-genetic. | |
I'm a science teacher and am dismayed at Wikipedia for giving incorrect facts about stick insects! For example, it says of Indian stick insects that "They reproduce parthenogenically and males are unrecorded"!
Yes, you are correct, the Wikipedia statement quoted is untrue, containing two errors. Indian stick insects are parthenogenetic and reproduce by parthenogenesis or parthenogenetically and those are the correct spellings of those words! Male Indian stick insects are rare, occurring 1 in every 10000 females, but certainly do exist; we have one at Small-Life Supplies at the moment! Scientific literature has been recording the occurrence of these rare Indian stick insect males for the last 100 years. The male Indian stick insect is very distinctive in appearance; there is a colour photo of one in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd.
I'm really looking forward to visiting on the Open Day and seeing your male Indian stick insect. I've kept Indian stick insects for years but have never had a true male although I did have one with a blue-ish end one time, she also had a slightly thinner body and a sort of corrugated abdomen.
Our adult male Indian stick insect is certainly going to be the star of our Open Day, with many people wanting to see him. The probability of having a male Indian stick insect is only 0.01%. The unusual Indian stick insect you had previously was a "gynandromorph " which means it possesses both male and female characteristics. Gynandromorphs are still unusual but occur far more frequently than true male Indian stick insects.
I have six Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus), which are about four weeks old, and I recently moved them into my BXL cage. I like to feed them bramble, and I thought that instead of just putting in sprigs of bramble in a Sprig Pot, it might be easier if I just planted some bramble and placed it in the cage? Is this a good idea?
This arrangement can work if you only have a few small stick insects. However, you will notice that as your Indian stick insects grow they will eat more and will eat the bramble leaves at a rate faster than it is able to grow back. So, you could maybe try this for a few weeks, but then I'd recommend using Fresh Cut Bramble stood in a Sprig Pot of cold tap water.
My Indian stick insects are just undergoing their first skin change. When should I transfer them into the Bug Studio Professional?
Wait another week to allow the stick insects to recover from the skin-change (ecdysis) and then they can be transferred to the BSP.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Birds are the main predator of Cabbage White larvae." |
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| WRONG! The larvae (also called caterpillars) of Cabbage White Butterflies are amongst the most heavily parasitised, with 80% of caterpillars being affected. The parasitoids live inside the caterpillar before emerging from it, killing the caterpillar in the process. The emerging grubs quickly transform into pupae and weeks later emerge as tiny parasitic wasps or larger parasitic flies which then fly off to find more caterpillars in which they lay their eggs. The eggs hatch inside the caterpillar and the process is repeated. | |
I want to buy some stick insects. I'm 19 and want an active type that's a bit different but still relatively easy to look after. Any suggestions?
The Thailand Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sp) would suit you; they have males and females that look completely different and these stick insects are very lively, being keen to jump backwards and flit around! Thailand Winged stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and wild rose leaves. They're currently available as part of the Thailand Winged Stick Insects Kit.
I just saw two ladybirds; a black one with two big red spots and two small red spots and an orange one with lots of black spots. I thought ladybirds were red with two small black spots?
There are lots of different species of ladybirds. Common ones include the small red one with two black spots and the larger red one with seven black spots. But there are lots more, including yellow ones and cream ones with black spots. The first two ladybirds you describe are relatively new to the UK, they are both Harlequin ladybirds.
How do I tell the difference between Thailand stick insects poo and their eggs? I don't want to be throwing the wrong things away!
Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) eggs are brown, whilst their droppings tend to black or dark grey. The eggs are all the same size and shape unlike the droppings which are assorted lengths and sizes. There are close up colour photographs of different stick insect eggs, including Thailand stick insect eggs, in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd.
I purchased 15 eggs of the Peruvian stick insect (Oreophoetes peruana) and only four have since hatched, two of which died before adulthood - the two adult girls I have now are thriving and producing eggs. Do you know much about this species and do you have any tips on keeping them successfully?
I was one of the first to bring this species to the UK and Small -Life Supplies used to breed these Peruvian stick insects in huge numbers, and supply them with specially grown potted ferns. We also supplied an audio cassette tape advising how to rear this species and a colour poster of the red adult male. This all stopped about ten years ago because the plant nursery was unable to continue supplying the chemical-free potted ferns. Currently we supply the Peruvian Collector Card and even have a few tapes left for anyone who still has an old-fashioned cassette player! The key tips are the correct ferns, and a cage that is kept somewhere cool.
The tip of the tail of one of our Indian stick insect nymphs is bent downwards and to one side at about an angle of 45 degrees. She has undergone several skin changes but has not straightened out. She seems otherwise healthy and has no problems pooing, but we are concerned that when she starts laying eggs, the eggs might get stuck. Do you think the problem will rectify itself, or should we try to straighten her tail somehow?
Sometimes Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) damage their bodies, as you describe, but usually manage to lay eggs successfully. So I would be fairly optimistic that this stick insect will manage to lay eggs successfully. As each egg is laid, the stick insect flicks its abdomen to release the egg, which then falls to the floor. It is not advisable to try and straighten the abdomen because it has been deformed for such a long time.
| MYTH EXPLODED MYTH: "Wasps are bad insects and should be killed." |
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| WRONG! Wasps may be annoying when they disturb you in the garden, but this is no reason to kill them. Instead, try feeding the wasps by cutting up a slice of ham into tiny squares and watch the wasps fly off with them. Wasps are carnivorous insects and so help keep the populations of many other insects under control. | |
I'm going on holiday for ten days and plan to leave my Indian stick insects at home, well stocked with food of course. Any tips?
The leaves on shorter, newer privet stems last longer than those on the older stems with blossom on, so cut plenty of the newer stems and place these in jam jars of water to keep fresh. (Plug exposed areas with cotton wool so there is no risk of the stick insects drowning). Place the cage of stick insects in a coolish room (and not one which will get hot and sunny). Put in lots of food and the Indian stick insects should be fine for ten days.
Do Giant African Land Snails eat dock leaves? I want to feed them with leaves from the garden.
Giant African Land Snails are fussy as to which green leaves they eat. Dandelion leaves are a favourite but dock leaves are ignored. You could try growing cabbage and lettuce in your garden; this is easy to do and Giant African Land Snails devour cabbage and lettuce leaves.
Can you tell me how long Indian stick insects are supposed to live? I have one that is now 14 months old; is this a record?
Standard Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) live, on average 12 months. However, this is the average lifespan and so some individuals live for a shorter time and some live longer. Smaller Indian stick insects live longer; individuals from our "dwarf" strain were consistently living over 2 years and their eggs were hatching much more quickly (in two months instead of the standard four months).
I have rocks at bottom of my walking stick insect cage. Is that okay for them?
Rocks are not a good idea because the droppings and eggs will get trapped around them and this will lead to unclean conditions and of course make it impossible for you to control the number of eggs. Stick insects lay a lot of eggs and it is essential to only save a few eggs or else you will have lots of stick insects which you'll need to find homes for. The best covering for the floor of a stick insect cage is a Liner; these are pre-cut to fit the cages and are disposable. The BSP Liners are now available in pink.
I have several Indian stick insects, all but one looking healthy and happy. I keep them well fed, clean, and misted. I handle my girls very gently, yet one of them seems to have lost two legs! How could this have happened?
Indian stick insects don't often lose legs but when they do they can regrow them back at the next skin-change. Hot weather can make them get too hot which causes them to fight and so it is best to keep them in a room that is less than 25 degrees Celsius, ideally about 18 degrees Celsius during the day. Also, do not mist the inside walls of the cage, nor the actual stick insects - just mist the leaves.
| HOLIDAY STICK SITTING SERVICE |
| Once again Small-Life Supplies can look after your stick insects whilst you are on holiday. We will clean them out, give them fresh food and water, save their shed skins for you and collect their eggs. The price is £2 a day per standard cage (BSP size) of stick insects. You need to drop the stick insects at our showroom and collect them again at the end of your holiday. For details, please call 01949 842446. |
My son has been given a "spring up 30cm high stick insect habitat" but after reading your stick insect care sheet, I realise that it's too small. Can I buy the Bug Studio Professional from my local pet shop or must it be delivered?
The BSP can be purchased from good pet shops; if your local pet shop does not have any yet, please ask the owner to contact les@small-life.co.uk to discuss how to buy some. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit the next Small-Life Supplies free Open Day in August. Or, of course, you can get the BSP delivered to your door; for details go to our "cages" page.
I have a batch of eggs from four Macleay's Spectre stick insects. They were kept with an unrelated male. The eggs were laid from July through to December and on advice from a local breeder, I am keeping them on vermiculite at 25 degrees centigrade on a thermostat, misting them every few days. I thought that eggs produced with a male hatch in six months, or a year by parthenogenesis. But not one of them has hatched. What's gone wrong? How should I keep the eggs if I am doing it wrong?
I suspect your eggs have got too hot and dried up inside. A daytime temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius and cooler at night is a far better method to hatch these Australian eggs. You could try opening some up; snip off the lid with scissors and see what is inside. If the inside looks like an orange glob with a rubbery consistency, the egg is infertile and has not developed. If the inside is dry and brittle the egg has stopped developing because it has overheated. If the inside contains a recognisable stick insect, don't open up any more eggs because hatching is imminent.
I have a large fish tank that I no longer use and was wondering what sort of stick insect I could keep in it? I don't want to heat it but it does have a light.
Fish tanks are not ideal for stick insects because they don't have the tall height, the side ventilation or the mesh climbing surfaces that many stick insects need to be healthy. So I'd abandon the idea of using it for stick insects and use it for something else, for example, Giant African land snails or some large caterpillars can be kept successfully in a fish tank. For details on proper stick insect cages click here.
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