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Hello. My
name is Professor Phasmid and I will be answering your questions about pet bugs
on this page. (Sorry, I can only answer queries on this page, I cannot e-mail
you personally.) Please e-mail your questions to me at: prof@small-life.co.uk This page contains questions and answers from past weeks. You will find the most recent questions and answers by clicking here. Be sure to look out for my "exploding myths" sections too! Is bramble evergreen? There are lots of different types of bramble (blackberry) leaves growing wild in the UK. Some are deciduous, but fortunately there are several common species of bramble that are "semi-evergreen" which means that although some leaves die off in the winter, there are still plenty of lush green leaves available. Look for bramble bushes with two-tone stems (purple and green) because these are particularly hardy. If you cannot find enough bramble, you can purchase Fresh Cut Bramble from Small-Life Supplies. I have two stick insects and have purchased fifteen stick insect eggs. Is it OK to handle the stick insect eggs? Yes, you can handle the stick insect eggs but obviously be careful so as not to crush them. I have three green stick insects and I need to know why they have red at the top of their front legs? You probably have adult Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) because when these stick insects become fully grown, the tops of their front legs turn red. This indicates that they are mature and will start laying eggs. Details and a close-up photograph of an Indian stick insect egg are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. There is another species, the Guadeloupe stick insect (Lamponius guerini) which also develops red tops to its front legs when adult. However, Guadeloupe stick insects are usually various shades of beige and brown and so, because your stick insects are green, they are more likely to be Indian stick insects.
My son has a stick insect which recently shed its skin for the second time in four months. How often do stick insects shed their skin? Also, the stick insect has lost one leg following the shedding and another looks damaged, are we doing something wrong caring for the stick insect? Growing stick insects usually shed their skins every few weeks, but the intervals do vary, depending on the species of stick insect. For example, the Malaysian stick insect (Heteropteryx dilatata) is particularly slow at growing. Stick insects usually shed their skins successfully and so if there are problems it usually indicates a problem with the surroundings being either too dry or too humid. Without knowing which species of stick insect you have, it is difficult to advise further. Many stick insects like a well-ventilated cage such as the Bug Studio Professional, but some prefer less-ventilated conditions and need the Ventilation Control Panel attaching to the Bug Studio Professional. I am currently undertaking an Advanced Higher course in Biology. As part of the course I am studying Indian stick insects and their eating habits as well as the effects of different food sources on their growth rates. As background information I wondered whether you could explain what Indian stick insects would eat in their natural habitat? This is a good project to do on Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) and so you should get some interesting results. A list of acceptable foodplants is in the book "Keeping Stick insects" by Dorothy Floyd. Indian stick insects were brought to the UK in the early 1900s. Indian stick insects eat a range of leaves (they are the most versatile of stick insects with regard as to what they can eat) and so in their natural habitat they are found on a wide range of lush plants. I am just about to get some Indian stick insects from a friend. I have a big ivy plant in the garden, it has variegated leaves, so is it OK to use as a foodplant for the stick insects? Variegated ivy is not a favourite foodplant for Indian stick insects, although some will eat it if there is nothing else. Instead, Indian stick insects do much better on dark green ivy (the type that grows wild up walls). Or, you could feed them on privet leaves (green, not golden), or bramble (blackberry) leaves or rose leaves (wild or cultivated - if not sprayed). A man visited our school supposedly to talk about minibeasts but was urging the students to eat insects! I thought this was morally wrong and I'm the teacher! I'd be interested to hear your views. Many teachers (and students) have expressed their misgivings to me about those people who visit schools and do presentations about insects, concentrating on shock tactics such as eating insects. I think it is completely wrong to kill and eat a living creature, just for entertainment value. The culprits try to justify their actions by saying that insects are eaten by native peoples in some parts of the world. Whilst this is true, those people are eating insects as food because they need to, not because they want to show off in front of their friends. As a teacher, you are quite right in trying to impress on your students the importance of respecting all living creatures, including insects. Do Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects need a dish of water in their cage? A shallow dish of water is a good idea in a cage of Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects, particularly during hot weather or if the central heating is turned on. The leaves should also be misted daily. Adult male Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects are particularly thirsty after they have been flying around the room.
Is it possible to influence the colour of your stick insect, notably the yellow version of the Heteropteryx dilatata? I was thinking perhaps foodplants and/or humidity being the factors. Regarding Malaysian stick insects (Heteropteryx dilatata) there appears to be a genetic factor involved because female offspring produced from a yellow adult female mated with a male are the classic lime green colour as large nymphs but then change to a pretty mottled green and yellow mix as adults! So foodplants and humidity are probably not factors here, although those variables certainly do account for colour differences in other stick insect species, notably the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) and Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum). Population density is a factor affecting the colour of Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus). My friend recently acquired three baby stick insects in July. They were kept in a well ventilated two litre plastic bottle (as advised by my friend's daughter's school). They were fed on privet leaves. However, over the last three weeks they have all died. What has she done wrong? It is very important to give baby Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) privet leaves (or bramble leaves) that are slightly wet because these stick insects need to drink water. If your friend didn't do this, the stick insects would have become dehydrated and died. Also, for best results, Indian stick insects should be kept in a non-ventilated container (such as the QBOX) for the first month of their life, and be transferred to a well-ventilated cage after this time. I have five Indian stick insects, and they are all thriving. However, I am concerned about one who seems to have hurt herself. When she hangs upside-down, her tail flops backwards in a very painful-looking way just where her back legs join her body, leaving a crease mark across her back. She is eating and pooing OK, but I try to put her up the right way when I see her like this as I'm worried that she must be in pain. Is there anything I can do to help her? The main body of the Indian stick insect is like a tube. So, if the body gets caught in the door or the stick insect falls awkwardly, the body can bend over in a sharp crease, as you have observed. When this happens, it is important to quickly put your thumb and forefinger either side of the crease and squeeze gently. The squeezing action forces fluids into the crease and the body re-inflates. The sooner this is done after the injury the better. I have two Epidares nolimetangere (Sarawak) stick insects. I read somewhere that they lay their eggs in sand but mine are just leaving theirs around the tank. The eggs are round, hairy and have a tiny cap. Where are they supposed to lay their eggs? What conditions should I keep them in? The Sarawak stick insect is a very spiky stick insect - hence its name noli me tangere which is Latin for "don't touch me". It is a harmless stick insect and lays eggs which are relatively large considering the small size of the adult. You are correct; the female just lays her eggs on the floor of the cage. They should be collected and stored in a QBOX. The hatching rate is high but the number of eggs laid by a female is typically less than fifty, which is low for stick insect.
What is the most interesting type/variety of stick insect to get? It's really down to personal choice because each species of stick insect is interesting in its own right. The New Guinea stick insect is certainly very interesting with its amazing body width, glossy body, liking for walking and care by which the female buries each egg in sand. In contrast, the incredible thinness of the adult Thailand stick insect and the way these stick insects sway from side to side is impressive, as is the speed at which the adult males try to escape! Which stick insects can eat wild rose? There is an abundance of tall wild rose suckers by the canal towpath. Wild rose provides a good foodsource for many stick insects and is plentiful at the moment, just before autumn. Stick insects which thrive on wild rose include: New Guinea stick insects, Indian stick insects, Vietnamese Bark stick insects, Pink Winged stick insects, Corsican stick insects, Sabah stick insects, Thailand Winged stick insects and Thailand Miniature stick insects. I would like to keep stick insects but am worried how to dispose of the eggs they lay as I wouldn't want more than four stick insects. Some types of stick insect are much easier to breed than others. So, for example, if you were to keep Indian or Thailand stick insects, it is important to only save a few eggs otherwise you may get too many stick insects. Recently laid eggs can be destroyed before the embryo has a chance to develop; the quickest method is to throw them into a garden fire or to wrap them in newspaper and crush them. Remember that this is just mimicking the effect of nature, because in the wild, the majority of the eggs would perish. I've got six baby Australian Titan stick insects. How old do they have to be to mate and is a cage 48cm long and 28cm high big enough? Australian Titan stick insects (Acrophylla wuelfingi) are one of the longest species of stick insect, with adult females growing to 33cm long! Both sexes are winged and the adult males are good flyers. They mate when adults, at five months old. You need a much bigger cage, at least twice the height so they have room to shed their skins and grow properly. Australian Titan stick insects do best in an airy cage with ventilated sides.
I have five Indian stick insects. The four older ones were purchased from Small-Life Supplies and eat privet. The younger one only eats bramble. I've tried putting privet in her cage but she doesn't eat it. Should it be possible to wean her off bramble and onto privet when she grows a bit? Yes, in time, your younger Indian stick insect should be able to eat privet as well, or instead of, bramble leaves. Put both foodplants into the cage and wait for her to try the privet. Remember to lightly mist the leaves daily, preferably in the late afternoon or early evening. We have just hatched five Indian stick insects. I see from your site that they can go in the Bug Studio Pro cage after the first moult. Is this OK with the adult stick insects? We only have four adults and do not plan to hatch more than ten stick insect eggs altogether. Yes, younger Indian stick insects will live happily in the same cage as the adult stick insects. Your Bug Studio Professional can comfortably house up to twenty adult Indian stick insects and so you are being sensible in controlling the number of eggs that hatch; it is important not to overcrowd stick insects. I'm 14 and keep two cages of stick insects in my bedroom. I want to start using under-arm deodorant but know that aerosols can harm the stick insects. What should I do? Roll-on deodorants are the answer! The best ones for people are aluminium-free and so you could try the odourless "PitRok Natural Deodorant". Or, if you'd prefer one with a fragrance, then the "Dr Hauschka" range has two to choose from. Should I bury my Macleays Spectre eggs or leave them in a clean box to hatch? Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum) stick insect eggs are catapulted out by the adult female and are not buried in sand. So, you should not bury these eggs. Instead, put them in a closed QBOX on top of a thin layer of some bird sand.
I've always wanted to have some stick insects (as a child my brother had them but being a girl I wasn't allowed any); I'll be 40 in a couple of weeks and I really like the look of the New Guinea stick insects. Of course, I'd get the correct set-up, but I was wondering if I'm being over ambitious in starting with that type of stick insect? New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) are certainly very impressive stick insects. They require a bit more attention than other species because New Guinea stick insects like to walk a lot and so should be taken out of the cage for more exercise. Also, New Guinea stick insects need to drink from a water dish and so you need to ensure that fresh water is always available. However, other than that New Guinea stick insects are straightforward to look after and will thrive if kept in a large cage and given a good supply of fresh bramble leaves to eat. More details on this long-lived species are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. I'm sure you will enjoy keeping these stick insects and be able to look after them successfully. I've just moved into a new flat and would like to start keeping stick insects again. I've looked at your cages but what I'd really like to do is to create a state of the art display; can you supply a larger cage than the Bug-XL-Cage? Our latest cage, the Large Display Cage is due to be launched in a few weeks time. It is our premium cage; with a smooth anodised aluminium framework, aluminium mesh sides and two lockable doors. The Large Display Cage is twice as big as the Bug-XL-Cage (800mm wide, 600mm high and 300mm deep) and looks very expensive. Photos and details will be on this website soon. Could you please tell me when you refer to a "nymph" stick insect what is this? The word "nymph" refers to an immature stick insect, for example a baby one, a medium-sized one and even one that just has one more skin change to complete before becoming an adult. So a stick insect hatches from an egg then grows up as different sizes of nymph before finally reaching maturity and becoming an adult. What is exactly the maximal length of a leg of an Indian stick insect? (Coxa - Femur - Tibia). I need this to construct a Hexapod roboter for work. Adult Indian stick insects that have died from old age can be purchased from Small-Life Supplies. To get scientifically accurate information you would require a large sample size that you could then measure to calculate the average coxa, femur and tibia leg lengths. There is variation in size between individuals and, of course remember that the front, middle and back legs are not the same length. And the theory that stick insects walk in the "tripod" fashion is too simplistic!
Can you tell me the good and bad signs of health of a stick insect? Healthy stick insects have all six legs, two antennae and have bodies which are not bent or deformed. If the stick insect is a winged variety, a healthy stick insect will have perfect wings and not ones which are twisted or malformed. Healthy stick insects walk in a confident manner and do not drag their bodies along the ground. To promote healthy stick insects ensure the stick insects are kept in a large purpose-designed cage such as the Bug Studio Professional. My four Emperor caterpillars which I bought from you are doing really well. Can you tell the difference between a male and a female caterpillar? No, the differences between genders only become obvious when these insects are adult silkmoths. I have six mature Indian stick insects and I wish to handle them, however I don't know how to pick them up. They usually lose grip and fall off my hand - is this usual? Adult Indian stick insects should be picked up around their thorax, between the second and third pairs of legs. Full details are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. Very old stick insects start to lose their grip and can fall; so perhaps your stick insects are nearing the end of their lives. In my stick insect cage I noticed the Liner on the bottom of the cage has been chewed on, and I can't find any bits so I think it has been eaten! I most suspect the New Guinea stick insects but is this normal behaviour, it's not as if they didn't have food. Yes, New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) sometimes have a tendency to eat the Liners; fortunately it doesn't seem to do them any harm. This behaviour usually happens in May/June when the bramble leaves are fresh and rather thin. You could try giving the New Guinea stick insects some wild rose leaves to eat because these have thicker leaves and when the New Guinea stick insects eat rose leaves, the frequency of nibbling the Liner is greatly reduced.
My New Guinea stick insects have laid eggs and these are starting to hatch but I don't want to keep all the babies. I also have spare Giant African Land Snails . What should I do? You have done well to hatch out New Guinea stick insect eggs (Eurycantha calcarata). Surplus stick insects, eggs and Giant African Land Snails can be sent to the Culture Club where they will be looked after. Phone Simon on 01949 842446 for details. Can any insects be tamed? Yes, there are many examples where insects have been tamed, such insects include: mantids, stick insects, hawkmoths, bees, beetles and Madagascan hissing cockroaches. The "tamer" needs to have an empathy with insects and be patient, but the insects do learn relatively quickly. I came home today to find one of my Indian stick insects has started laying eggs, I am wondering how long do these eggs take to hatch there are so many different opinions on various sites and I thought I'd ask the experts. Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) eggs hatch after four months if kept in a QBOX indoors in a room that is comfortably warm. More details on these and other species of stick insect are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. I keep my stick insects in the kitchen, but now the sun is out on them in the morning. Should I move them? They don't seem to have been in the sun at all before and I don't know if the stick insects like it. Some species of stick insect benefit from spells of being in direct sunlight but other species of stick insect prefer the shade. (Obviously make sure that none are in hot strong sunlight because this will kill them.) Species that like a bit of sun include: Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus), Guadeloupe stick insects (Lamponius guerini), Thailand (Baculum thaii), Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum). Species that should be moved into a shady place include: Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus), Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) and Vietnamese Bark stick insects (Neohirasea maerens).
I'm interested in buying some of your Emperor caterpillars and was just wondering if they could live in the same Bug Studio Professional as my four Indian stick insects? Yes, the large Emperor caterpillars can share the same Bug Studio Professional as your Indian stick insects. However, when the caterpillars are 5cm long and getting ready to pupate, you'd need to provide several hawthorn stems, ideally criss-crossed. The caterpillars will then spin their silk cocoons between the hawthorn stems. After a week or so these stems, complete with cocoons, should be placed in an unheated garage where they can complete their metamorphosis in time with the natural seasons, emerging in April 2008. It is important that the cocoons are not attached to the side of the Bug Studio and kept indoors because this would accelerate the development and the adults would emerge in Winter when they have no chance of surviving outside. I've seen a stick insect kit advertised elsewhere with a 30cm high springy cage - but I see that your site recommends a taller cage, of 46cm high. Would the smaller enclosure be suitable for the stick insects when they're small? No. Once stick insects have completed their first skin-change they should be transferred to the 46cm high Bug Studio Professional. If they are kept in smaller, more squat cages, their development is restricted, and stunted adults result. Places that promote small tanks or small net cages are not promoting responsible pet ownership; like all pet animals, pet stick insects deserve to be kept in the correct conditions and this includes being kept in a cage which is big enough to give them room to grow properly. Do you have any winged stick insects for sale? And what do they eat? Yes, the Pink Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sipylus) and the Thailand Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sp) are currently available. They both eat bramble (blackberry) leaves, and also wild rose leaves. These stick insects should not be mixed together because they require different conditions; the Pink Winged stick insects like an airy cage whereas the Thailand Winged stick insects prefer less ventilated conditions and so should be kept in the Bug Studio Professional with the Ventilation Control Panel attached. How many Indian stick insects can be comfortably housed in your bug cages? The lockable Bug-Cage (46cm high) can house up to twenty adult Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). The Bug Studio Professional is a similar size (46cm high) and so can accommodate the same number. The Bug-XL-Cage is larger (55cm high and much wider) and can house up to forty adult Indian stick insects. I'm living in south Florida, USA, and have found three "stick bugs" in my house in the past two weeks. Why are they in the house when there is so much vegetation outside? Can they be harmful to our cat and dog or the children? How do I get them out of the house and keep them out? Why do you suppose they came in the house? We have been in very serious drought conditions. I suspect that the stick insects are seeking water. So I suggest you use a watering can to water the vegetation at the back of your house; this is best done as it is turning dark. Then you need to collect the stick insects from your home and put them back on this wet vegetation; hopefully they will start drinking from the water droplets and stay out there. However, before picking up the stick insects you need to put your pets and children in another room, cover up and wear goggles and gloves. This is because there is a dark stick insect native to Florida which, when frightened, can emit a chemical spray which causes severe irritation to people, dogs and cats. Of course, your stick insects may be a different, harmless species (most species of stick insect are harmless), but I wouldn't risk it. I live in the south west of England and while walking my dogs the other day I noticed something that looked like a very dense spiders web or piece of muslin about 3 inches long attached to some brambles with small darkish baby caterpillars roaming over it. Have you any ideas what this is? Various caterpillars start life in a communal tent; this is made from silken threads, as you have seen. The young caterpillars live together and are protected from predators such as birds by this tent. When the caterpillars are larger they disperse and live on their own or in small groups, depending on the species.
Do Thailand stick insects shed their skin? Yes, like all stick insects, Thailand stick insects shed their skins; this is how they grow. Most stick insects shed their skins six times over five months. The process (called ecdysis) is explained in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. I have a number of Indian stick insects who are just over a year old, which I have read is usually the extent of their life span. I've noticed that a few have lost legs recently, do the legs become more fragile in old age? Is there anything extra I should be doing when caring for old stick insects to make them more comfortable ? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) live for one year, on average. Old stick insects require more water than younger ones and so the leaves need to be misted more thoroughly with water. If very old stick insects are short of water, they can start to discard legs, as you have observed. So you need to give them more water. What animal eats a stick bug? In the wild, stick insects (also called walking stick insects, stick bugs and phasmids) are eaten by wasps and birds. Can praying mantises climb and cling as good as stick insects? The structure of the feet in mantids and stick insects are similar in that both have suction pads and claws. However, mantid movement can be hindered because mantids have rather large cumbersome front legs. Also, their front legs have an extra joint bending backwards. This means that their "ankle" is rather fragile and, in some instances can snap, depriving the mantid of its foot. Without a front foot (or front feet) the climbing and clinging ability of a mantid is greatly reduced, so always check when purchasing a mantid that it has all its legs and feet intact. (Only complete mantids are sold by Small-Life Supplies.)
We bought three Australian stick insects for our kids. We have kept stick insects before but these have developed wings and can fly! We were not told at the time of buying them so how do we look after them and what size cage shall we get? It is only the male Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) that have large wings and so you have three adult male stick insects. So, if you'd like to breed this species, you need to buy some females. In the meantime, the adult male Australian stick insects should be housed in a large well-ventilated cage such as the Bug Studio Professional and allowed out of the cage to fly about once a week. Further advice on flying tips are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd (this book also has a whole section on Australian stick insects). I have been feeding my adult Indian stick insects with privet. I have recently had six babies hatch, and have moved house. Ivy is in more ready supply and so I could start feeding the babies with this. But after three weeks when I move the babies in with the adults, would it possible to switch to feeding the adults ivy too? Yes, the adult Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) can switch between eating privet and ivy (and also bramble and rose). However, some individuals are fussier than others and so, if possible, try and provide both foodplants for a few weeks to allow the fussier stick insects the opportunity to change over to the new foodplant more gradually. My six year old daughter is doing a presentation on the Indian walking stick for her class. One of the questions that the teacher has asked is if the stick insect has any positive or negative impact on the ecosystem. It is very depressing that instead of encouraging children to marvel at the wonders of nature, the teacher is asking such an ill thought out question. Various insects, together with animals and plants, help to make up the ecosystem and, over time, everything has evolved to interact with each other. So the whole system operates in harmony until it is disrupted by an event such as freak weather, a population explosion or crash within the community, or by a man-made event such as pollution, habitat destruction etc. So, normally, stick insects would have a neutral impact on the ecosystem. However, if the population of stick insects was to suddenly fall (for example because of disease), predators of stick insects (such as wasps and birds) would suffer because their food supply would be reduced. In contrast, the stick insects' foodplant would be more plentiful (because it is not being eaten by stick insects), but, as a result of those plants increasing in size, this may have a detrimental effect on the growth of smaller species of plants. I have one male and one female Sabah stick insect. They have both recently reached maturity and I am expecting eggs soon. I have already purchased a QBOX for them. How soon after mating will she lay her eggs? Where will she lay them and what conditions should I keep them in. Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) usually mate a couple of weeks after the final skin-change. The female's abdomen swells in size over subsequent days as it fills up with eggs. The adult female buries her eggs in a pot of dry sand (this should be sterilised first). The sieved eggs should be placed on damp kitchen roll in the QBOX and misted very lightly with water.
My Marsh Fritillary butterflies emerged today; I know they lay their eggs on Devil's bit scabacious but I need to know what it looks like so I can release the butterflies near to it! The hot weather has caused the early emergence of these attractive orange butterflies. The butterflies eat nectar from flowers but seek out scabacious to lay their eggs. Devil's bit scabacious is just under one metre tall, with hairy leaves and blue flowers. This wild plant grows in damp woods and meadows. My son has nine Indian stick insects hatched from eggs bought from you in January for his birthday. The insects have been growing and shedding their skins fine up until now, but one now has the tail part of his old skin stuck to his growing tail. It has been stuck for nearly two days now and is becoming black and full of 'poo'. Occasionally an Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) can have problems with a skin-change and not manage to free itself completely from its old skin. In these situations it is best to wet the area and attempt to gently peel off the old skin. However, after two days the skin will have hardened and so this task becomes impossible. The prognosis is not good but you could try spraying the affected area with lukewarm water three times a day and hope that this action may cause the old skin to tear and release the accumulation of waste matter. We have hatched out baby Sabah stick insects. Can the babies be kept with the adults or should they be kept separate until they are bigger? Newly hatched Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) do best in a QBOX until they have completed two skin-changes. These stick insects can then be put in the same cage as the adults. Sabah stick insects do best if kept in the Bug Studio Professional with the Ventilation Control Panel attached. How do you revive a half dead stick insect as it was left in the sun? It is very important not to leave stick insects in hot sunshine because the composition of their skin, called the cuticle, starts to alter if it gets too hot. Unfortunately this "melting effect" cannot be reversed. The stick insect appears limp and soon dies. I have got three Indian stick insects and was wondering if you can tell the difference between male and females? The pet shop wasn't sure but thought that the female had red patches on their front legs ? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are parthenogenetic which means that they are all female. They lay eggs without mating and these hatch into more females. All adult Indian stick insects have red tops to their front legs. More details are in the book "Keeping Stick insects" by Dorothy Floyd, which has a whole section on Indian stick insects.
I've run out of mature bramble but I'm worried about feeding the new leaves to my stick insects. How can you tell when the leaves are safe and ready to provide as food? Some of the leaves are quite large but still look very immature. It is only the young shoots and small leaves that must be avoided because they can harm the stick insects. The large young leaves, although pale green and soft, are acceptable for stick insects to eat. We purchased a mantid egg sac on-line about a month ago. Since then I have been furiously culturing fruit flies and aphids - but no nymphs! How can I tell that the sac is worth continuing to incubate? Mantid egg sacs (oothecae) usually hatch after a few weeks. All the baby mantids emerge within a couple of days and are very tiny. So they usually eat each other because aphids and fruitflies are too large for them to eat. It is impossible to tell just by looking at an ootheca whether it is fertile or not. If nothing has emerged after two months, hatching is unlikely to occur. Generally, it is better to buy one medium-sized mantid (but ensure that it has all its legs and feet intact) rather than an ootheca which may or may not hatch into hundreds of babies. Are Thailand stick insects parthenogenetic? The Thailand stick insect (Baculum thaii) is not parthenogenetic. Males and females occur in approximately equal numbers and the males have purplish/brown bodies and yellow eyes. Full details are in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. However, the New Thailand stick insect (Baculum sp) is parthenogenetic. The females are larger than the Thailand females and do not have horns on their heads. When we bought our stick insects (about six months ago) we were badly advised to put cat litter in the bottom of their plastic tank. It is like wood pellets and turns to saw dust when it becomes wet. Now our stick insects have had babies, but I am worried about the babies and unhatched eggs which seem to be buried under the litter. I've just bought a Bug Studio Professional. The floor of the stick insect cage should always be lined with paper, certainly not cat litter or other messy substrates such as vermiculite, soil, sand or peat. You need to check the tank daily and transfer any babies to a QBOX. Keep up to twelve baby stick insects in one QBOX for the first month of their lives and then transfer them to the Bug Studio Professional.
The pet shop in town has started selling stick insects and they are the Sabah species, only the pet shop is telling everyone that they are the much larger New Guinea species! I've tried telling them they're in the wrong but they take no notice. We produce fifteen colour Collector Cards of stick insects (one per species of stick insect), and so you could try showing the pet shop owner the Sabah Collector Card and the New Guinea Collector Card and point out the differences between the two stick insects. Generally though, there is a problem with unscrupulous people advertising an exotic species of stick insect and supplying a more common type instead. That is why it is best to buy stick insects direct from a reputable breeder such as Small-Life Supplies. I have some Extatosoma tiaratum eggs and think I have been keeping them too warm. Is there any way of telling whether an egg has dried out? The inside is still yolky. When Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum) stick insect eggs get too warm they dry up inside and so the inside of the egg becomes shrivelled and dry. Your eggs have not dried up because they are still yolky inside. How long have you had them? Because after six months you should see a stick insect embryo in the egg; if it is just yolk after six months then the stick insect egg is infertile. Would you advise buying eggs or actual stick insects? My teenage son has been wanting some stick insects for ages and it's his birthday soon. Personally, I'd favour the actual stick insects. Choosing which type depends on your son's taste. For example, if he likes long slender stick insects, then the Thailand Stick Insect Kit would be a good choice. If he wants a stick-like type that he can handle a lot then the Starting Out Kit, containing Indian stick insects, would be ideal. But if he wanted a really chunky glossy-bodied type, then the New Guinea Stick Insect Kit would be better. And of course, he can buy more loose stick insects from Small-Life Supplies to add to his collection at a later date. We have purchased two male Giant Spiny stick insects. Can they live together and if so, what size should the tank be? Oh dear, it is not advisable to buy just two male New Guinea stick insects (sometimes called Giant Spiny stick insects) because the adults may start fighting if there are no females present. So you need to buy some females of a similar age and then they can all live in the same cage. New Guinea stick insects should not be housed in a tank because it is not tall enough and the solid sides prevent the stick insects from climbing (the sides are too smooth for them to hook their claws around). New Guinea stick insects do best in a proper stick insect cage; the Bug Studio Professional, the Bug-Cage or the Bug-XL-Cage.
I was alarmed to read that room air-fresheners can kill stick insects? Do they harm other pets too? Stick insects let air drift into their bodies via the holes (spiracles) along their bodies. A stick insect cannot filter this air and so the chemicals contained in air-fresheners will enter its body and poison its nervous system causing the stick insect to lose co-ordination and die. Some people have reported their dogs sneezing when air-fresheners are used and many people report getting headaches, stinging eyes and nasal irritation. So, it best to avoid using air-fresheners and instead open a window when the room needs freshening up. I want to buy a praying mantis and need to know what do you do in terms of cleaning out waste materials left by the mantis and what insects can I feed the mantis that do not chirp like crickets ? For best results, keep the mantid (praying mantis) in a Bug Studio Professional because the mantid does best in a tall airy cage. To keep the mantid in clean conditions, just line the floor of the Bug Studio Professional with a Liner and replace this weekly. Feed the mantid with various flies and moths. When the mantid is fully grown it should be able to eat a small earthworm. Crickets are best avoided because they can attack the mantid and also they make a lot of noise, particularly at night. We have been giving our two Indian stick insects blackberry leaves and wonder if that's enough for them? Yes, Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) will do fine if fed solely on bramble (blackberry) leaves. However, if you have access to wild ivy or privet growing outdoors, then Indian stick insects can also eat these leaves. But there is no need to vary the stick insects' diet. Two of my Indian stick Insects appear to have a blue jelly-like thing attached to the underside of their tail. Is it a parasite? No, it is not a parasite. Most Indian stick insects are female but occasionally some individuals occur which have both male and female genitalia and the male genitalia are what you have observed. Rarer still are individuals which are exclusively male; the probability of a male Indian stick insect occurring is 1 in every 10000 females.
When hatching Indian stick insect eggs do they need a floor covering or are they fine sitting on the base of the tub? Indian stick insect eggs (Carausius morosus) do not need a floor covering; they will hatch if just left on the base of the tub. A good container to hatch these eggs is called the QBOX; it is the correct size and is clear so you can see when the stick insect eggs start to hatch. How many times a week do you spray the leaves for stick insects? A daily misting of the leaves is usually adequate, preferably in the late afternoon or early evening. However, in hot weather or in a hot room (if the central heating has been turned up), a twice daily mist may be needed. Some stick insects, such as the Australian Macleays Spectre stick insect and the New Guinea stick insect require more water and so these stick insects benefit from having a shallow dish of water in the cage. After an Indian stick insect has shed its skin how long do you have to leave them before you're able to handle them? Following a skin-change (ecdysis) the outer skin (cuticle) of the stick insect is soft. So it is best to avoid handling the stick insect for a couple of days. The cuticle hardens after a few hours but the stick insect is weak following its skin-changing ordeal and needs a couple of days to recover. Can you tell me how long Indian stick insects live? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) live about one year. More details are given in the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd, which has a whole section on this species as well as details on other species of stick insect and information on the basic biology of stick insects. Sadly, our cats are hunting our healthy colony of outdoor stick bugs. What can we do about that? In one case the cat chewed the legs off the bug, but it still lives. Is there any hope or is it done for? We are in Venice, California, USA. Cats do like to watch stick insects and many cats will eat stick insects if they have the chance. Our Bug-XL-Cage and Bug-Cage have the advantage of being cat-proof! However, with an outdoor colony of stick insects, I don't think you can protect them from your cat. Stick insects should have six legs but can still manage if they have five, four or even three legs. However if the stick insect has two or less legs it is unlikely to survive without human assistance for feeding etc. How many Indian stick insects is it OK to house in one Bug Studio Professional? The Bug Studio Professional will accommodate up to twenty adult Indian stick insects. Or, you could have a mixture of species, for example four Indian stick insects and four Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus).
Is it true that the New Guinea stick insects can lift car keys or was that a bit of humour? Healthy adult New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) are very strong and so yes, these stick insects can pick up a bunch of car keys. Before I went to bed, my Indian stick bug appeared to be chewing on her left antenna. Was she really eating it or was she just cleaning it? Indian stick insects, like other stick insects, regularly clean their antennae by passing each antenna in turn through their mouths. This cleaning behaviour usually occurs at night , soon after the lights have been switched off. So this is what you have been fortunate enough to observe. Are cuttlefish bones from the local pet shop suitable for African giant land snails or are they too salty? If they are too salty can they be soaked to remove the salt? For years cuttlefish bone was recommended as being a good source of calcium for snails. However, cuttlefish bone is very salty and so when given to the snails at Small-Life Supplies it was rinsed in cold water beforehand. However, being porous it was difficult to remove all the salt. Now the snails at Small-Life Supplies are given free-range organic eggshells as a calcium food source and the snails seem to do much better on these than they ever did when given cuttlefish bone. Do large stick insects eat smaller ones? No. Healthy stick insects eat leaves, not each other. If stick insects start to chew each other it is because they are not being kept correctly and are too stressed, for example the stick insects are overcrowded, cramped, or are short of water or food.
My Indian stick insects have just recently started laying eggs. It says they should be brown with a yellow/orange plug. Mine are blackish grey and have a black plug. Is there something wrong with them? You haven't got Indian stick insects! The egg description matches that of Vietnamese stick insects. Unfortunately, some stores have been selling Vietnamese stick insects as Indian stick insects; this appears to be a particular problem in parts of the USA and Canada. I am very worried about my Giant African Land Snail. I have had him for a few weeks now and I have only seen him come out at the most five times. Is he hibernating or dead? Is there a way to tell ? Giant African Land Snails do best in small groups and so your snail would benefit from having some companions. Giant African Land Snails are inquisitive creatures and need to be somewhere where there is lots going on for them to see. Without this stimulation the snails become lethargic and can seal up inside their shells. It is obvious when a snail has died because a dead snail gives off a very bad smell. I've tried ordering the book "Keeping Stick insects" by Dorothy Floyd from Amazon but they say its not available. Where can I buy a copy? "Keeping Stick insects" by Dorothy Floyd is being reprinted (for the fourth time) at the moment and so new copies should be available from all outlets (including bookshops, Amazon and Small-Life Supplies) at the end of March 2007. Can baby stick insects and adult stick insects be kept together ? It depends on the species. For some types, such as the Indian stick insect, it is best to keep the newly hatched stick insects in QBOXES and the adults in large airy cages. The reason is that the young stick insects prefer less ventilated conditions than the older insects. However, for Pink Winged stick insects, it is important to keep the babies in the large cage with the adults because newly hatched Pink Winged stick insects are reluctant to feed unless older insects are present. Are stick insects nocturnal? Stick insects show nocturnal behaviour because they are active during the night. However, stick insects are not entirely nocturnal because they are also active at intervals through the day. The winged varieties of stick insect, in particular, can be quite active during the day and will fly across a room during daylight hours. What is the best way to hatch New Guinea stick insect eggs? The adult female New Guinea stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata) buries her eggs in a pot of sand. For best results, put the contents through a sieve once a week and store the eggs in a QBOX. Keep the QBOX in a warm room, away from strong lights. New Guinea stick insect eggs need extra moisture and so either very lightly spray some water into the QBOX, or better still, let in some steam. Does bramble grow in France? Yes, bramble (blackberry) grows wild in France, particularly in wooded areas. So people keeping stick insects in France are able to feed their stick insects easily. I have got some Eurycantha calcarata stick insects but I am not sure what they eat. Also are these giant spiny stick insects or small spinys? Stick insects are usually named after their native country of origin. So Eurycantha calcarata is the Latin species name for the New Guinea stick insect. They become huge adults and so another term for them is "giant spiny", but such descriptive terms are best avoided because the description can apply to many species. New Guinea stick insects do best on bramble (blackberry) leaves. How do you tell the difference between a male and a female Indian stick insect? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are exclusively female, and are able to lay eggs which hatch into more females. This process of reproduction is called parthenogenesis. Male Indian stick insects are extremely rare, with one male occurring for every 10 000 females! Male Indian stick insects are light brown, thin and have a red underside; there is a photograph of one in "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd (now being reprinted for the fourth time).
We have been given ten Indian Stick Insect eggs and we do not know how to hatch them! Please advise us on that and how we look after the stick insects once they have hatched. For best results, keep Indian stick insect eggs (Carausius morosus) in a QBOX, away from direct sunlight. It is useful to know when the eggs were laid because they take four months to hatch. Baby Indian stick insects should be kept in the QBOX until they are a month old at which point they should be transferred to a large airy stick insect cage such as the Bug Studio Professional. I have a batch of Indian stick insect eggs and two hatched the other day, and I was just wondering can you keep adults and nymphs in the same cage or do you have to keep them separate? Keep the baby Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) in a QBOX for the first month of their lives. When they are a month old, transfer the stick insects to a large airy stick insect cage such as the Bug Studio Professional. Nymphs and adults will live happily together. What should I do if there are aphids on the bramble that I need to feed my stick insects? When collecting bramble (blackberry) leaves, it is a good idea to carefully check the bramble leaves for aphids, ladybirds, spiders etc and to flick these creatures off the leaves in the area where you have found them. If you miss some and don't realise until you're home, you need to put these creatures outside, preferably on a bramble patch. Are Australian Walking Sticks an Arachnid? No, Australian walking sticks are a type of stick insect. Stick insects are classified as insects and have three body segments and six legs. Spiders are classified as arachnids; these have two body segments and eight legs.
Does your Bug Studio Professional stick insect cage come in different sizes? I have just got two Indian stick insect nymphs, but as they're only around 3cm long I'm looking for something smaller to keep them in. Whilst baby stick insects do well in a small container (such as the QBOX), after they have completed their first skin-change, the stick insects must be transferred to a tall, airy cage. At 3cm, your Indian stick insects have undergone their first skin- change and now need to be kept in an airy cage at least 46cm high, such as the Bug Studio Professional. Stick insects need lots of room, particularly height, to grow properly. Keeping them in small squat containers is a bad idea because stunted insects result. So no, a smaller version of the Bug Studio Professional is not produced because it would be too small. What is the range of walking sticks? Do they live all over the world? Yes, stick insects (walking sticks) are native to many countries across the world. The largest species are in the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and Australia. There are twig-like species found in India and Thailand. There are some very colourful stick insects native to Peru. There is a range of stick insect species native to the USA. In Corsica there is a stick-like species that eats rose leaves. However stick insects are not found in cold countries. What is the lifespan of both the Indian stick insect and the Thailand stick insect? Indian (Carausius morosus) stick insects live for about one year. Thailand (Baculum thaii) stick insects have a longer lifespan, typically 14 months. I have a children's nursery and we have four African snails; Kev is about three years old, Bev, Ooh and Boo are one year old. Over the weekend Kev has disappeared into his shell and has covered himself in a hard crusty layer, the other snails are OK. The heating is on during the week but is reduced at the weekend. Giant African Land Snails can seal themselves up in their shells when they are too cold. So you need to move the snails to a warmer place or provide additional heating at the weekend. A 450 Watt portable oil-filled radiator plugged into an electrical socket one metre from the snails is an economical and effective way to keep the surroundings warm. To wake Kev up, you need to hold him under a running tap of tepid water for a few minutes, ensuring his breathing hole is clear of the water. As soon as the snail has warmed up, he will push off the crusty layer . Recently my Spiny Leaf Insect had part of it's old skin left on it's claw (part of it's leg). So I pulled some off, then realising that the claw came off. I am very upset. Can the creature grow a new claw? Phasmids (stick and leaf insects) can regenerate complete legs but usually cannot regrow just a claw. However, the loss of one claw is not too serious because the insect still has the use of its other five claws. Do stick insects fly? Yes, there are winged species of stick insect and when these stick insects are fully grown their wings appear and they can fly. Some stick insects which can fly well are: the male Australian Titan stick insect (Acrophylla wuelfingi) , male Australian Spectre stick insect (Extatosoma tiaratum), male Thailand Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sp) and the female Pink Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sipylus). The most bizarre thing has happened. Before going to bed I saw my mantid chewing a stick insect's head off before it got too full and left the rest, and then the next morning I picked out the headless stick insect and it started trying to walk along! I checked and its head was completely off. The stick insect was a medium sized Pink Winged stick insect. What is the reason for this strange occurrence? Stick insects have their nervous system distributed throughout their bodies, with ganglia in the body segments controlling those segments. One function of the brain, which is located in the head, is to limit the activity in those segments. So without a brain the insect becomes more active and that is why your headless stick insect was walking around after several hours. I have previously kept Australian, Indian, Pink Winged and Thailand stick insects successfully and I'm now looking for something more unusual. I am looking to keep several species at once so do you have any suggestions? The species you list all like well-ventilated cages and so can be mixed together in the Bug Studio Professional and Bug-XL-Cage. You could set up another cage, this time with Ventilation Control Panel attached, and keep Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) and Thailand Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sp) together. The Sabah stick insects are dark and spiky, whereas the Thailand Winged stick insects are dark green, winged and can jump backwards! Small-Life Supplies breeds all these varieties and medium-sized stick insects are all available at the moment. I have had my Indian stick insects since around November now but they have still not shed their skin. At first they were kept in a fish tank until I could get hold of a proper cage, which I now have (Bug Studio Professional). The stick insects have been in their new cage for around a month and a half, maybe longer but nothing seems to be happening, is there something wrong? . How large are your Indian stick insects? If they have a total length of 11cm they are fully grown and will not shed their skins anymore. If they are smaller than this, then they should have undergone a skin-change by now, providing they are kept in a comfortably warm room and given fresh privet or bramble leaves (misted daily) to eat. However, sometimes a stick insect will eat its entire skin after shedding it so there may be no evidence of a skin-change, other than the fact the insect is larger!
What are the basic things I will need to keep my stick insects comfortable? I am having my friend's stick insects and one of them has laid eggs, how can I keep the stick insect eggs healthy? You need to house the stick insects in a tall large cage such as the Bug Studio Professional. Stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and so you need to push sprigs of these into a wet Pot and Oasis to keep the leaves fresh. Stick insect eggs should be kept in the QBOX; this is see-through so that you can see when they hatch. I am a novice stick insect owner and I own six stick insects: two Macleays Spectre and four Sarawak spiny stick insects. Will I need to supply a dish of water for my stick insects (they are small) or will misting them be enough? Will they live happily together? Unfortunately the varieties you mention are not the easiest species to start with. Also, they should not be kept together because they require different conditions; Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects do best in a well-ventilated cage whereas Sarawak stick insects prefer less-ventilated conditions. A dish of water is advisable, but the water must only be 2mm deep to prevent any risk of young stick insects drowning. You should mist the leaves daily, but try and avoid getting the stick insects wet. I have three stick insects and once a week I replace the bramble with fresh supplies from the wood at the bottom of our garden. Is there a kind of plant that I could grow inside the stick insect cage that could feed the insects on an ongoing basis to save my fingers from getting spiked? Stick insects do best on bramble (blackberry) leaves. So I suggest you invest in good gardening gloves (good suede ones are made by "Town and Country" ) and continue to gather two sprigs a week and push these into a Pot and Oasis to keep them fresh. It is not a good idea to try and grow a plant in the cage; the plant will struggle and the wet soil that the plant needs can cause hygiene problems in the confined space of a cage. I had four stick insects for Christmas and would like to find out if they are male or female. There are lots of species of stick insect and so first you need to find out what type you have. Some species such as the Indian stick insect are exclusively female, but other species such as the New Guinea stick insect have males and females in approximately equal numbers. For species which have both genders, the differences between males and females are really obvious, but I need to know what species you have to advise further.
I have received stick insects for Christmas, and I found a caterpillar in the cage attached to an insect's foot. Have my stick insects been harmed by the caterpillar? I live in England. The caterpillar has probably been brought in on some bramble leaves. When feeding stick insects, it is advisable to check the bramble for caterpillars, spiders, ladybirds, aphids etc and to put these creatures back outside. The caterpillar will not have harmed your stick insect but you should put the caterpillar back on the bramble outside so that it can continue to live out there. I just got given an Indian stick insect and was wondering if I could get more to keep it company, maybe by buying some eggs and putting them in with it, would this be OK? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) like company and so, yes, it would be a good idea to get some more stick insects. Buying the Stick Insect Egg Kit is a good way of achieving this; ten eggs are included in the kit and most of these will hatch. Can I keep Giant African Land Snails with stick insects in a tank? No, it is not a good idea to mix stick insects with Giant African Land Snails. Whilst the snails will do well in a tank, this is not the correct environment for keeping stick insects. Stick insects should be kept in a tall cage (at least 45cm, 18" high) with ventilated sides. I have loads of Australian Macleays Spectre stick insect eggs. I am going to keep twenty but I want the rest to go to a good home. Do you know anywhere that will take them? Surplus stick insect eggs can be posted to the Culture Club, where they will be looked after. Phone 01949 842446 and ask for the Culture Club; they will explain how best to package the stick insect eggs for posting. I have been keeping stick insects for years in your proper cages and was concerned to see that the largest pet store in town has just started selling stick insects, together with small tanks filled with gravel! This is obviously ridiculous and cruel; should I contact the SSPCA? I live in Scotland. It would be better if you expressed your concerns to the store manager. So you could write a letter, making it clear that you are an individual concerned about animal welfare. You need to explain the best way to keep stick insects (include a print out of a Small-Life Supplies stick insect care sheet if you wish) and mention the book "Keeping Stick Insects" by Dorothy Floyd. You could also let the pet store know that Small-Life Supplies can supply pet shops with Bug Studio Professional cages and to phone 01949 842446 for details. I have received a stick insect as a present to find one of its back legs has come off. Will the stick insect die? Or will its leg grow back? If a stick insect loses a leg, it can grow a new leg back at its next skin-change. This process is called regeneration. The regenerated leg is smaller than the other legs, but will get larger after successive skin-changes. Stick insects should always be handled carefully to prevent leg loss. We live in the UK and have had a butterfly in our house for the last four days, which at this time of year (December) is very unusual. I dare not let it out, because obviously in this weather it would die. In the UK, several species of butterfly hibernate during winter, often in garages and sheds. Sometimes butterflies hibernate in people's houses, usually in a room that is not used much. During sunny spells, the hibernating butterflies wake up and fly around, to have some exercise and to seek out water. So, if you find a butterfly trapped inside a house, garage or shed and it is flapping at the window, it is important to let it out quickly. I am doing an assignment on Vietnamese Prickly stick insects. Can two stick insects or more live together? Where do they come from? And will they breed? The Vietnamese Prickly stick insect is usually called the Vietnamese Bark stick insect, because of its textured body. The Latin name is Neohirasea maerens; it was formerly called Menexenus maerens. These stick insects are native to Vietnam but have been bred commercially in the UK in captivity for around ten years. They have males and females and are easy to breed. Like most stick insects, they do best if kept together in small groups, rather than on their own. Do Giant African Land Snails hibernate if kept in captivity? If Giant African Land Snails are looked after properly, they do not hibernate and so will remain active all year. The best way to keep snails active is to give them lots of attention and every week rinse their shells under a tap of warm running water. The snails need a varied diet including potato and carrot peelings and also slices of marrow, cucumber, red pepper, avocado and courgette. And lots of hen eggshells to provide the calcium the snails need to help their shells stay strong.
I'm visiting friends and wondered if I could take my stick insects with me? I have a car and four Indian stick insects in a Bug Studio Professional. Do the stick insects travel OK? Yes, stick insects travel well, and the Bug Studio Professional can be secured on the car seat with a seat-belt. However, it is essential that there are no air-fresheners in the car, such as the "Magic Trees" which dangle from the rear-view mirror, because such items release chemicals which poison the stick insects. If the weather is very cold, it is important not to leave the stick insects in an unheated car for too long if you stop off en-route at a cafe. What are the right conditions for Extatosoma tiaratum eggs? How can you tell if the eggs are still viable? An effective method for storing Australian stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) eggs is to put them in a QBOX on a layer of bird sand. Approximately six months later, lightly mist the stick insect eggs with water and this should encourage them to start hatching. Provided the adult stick insects have mated, the stick insect eggs have a good chance of being fertile. If no eggs hatch, you could try opening one up; if all you see is orange liquid, the egg is not viable. My Indian stick insect is lying on her back and kicking her legs about and when I pick it up it falls over again and all this starts again. Is there anything I can do and can it spread to others? Unfortunately your Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) has been poisoned. Her nervous system has been damaged and she will die. She is not contagious but you need to establish what has caused this so you can save your other stick insects from the same fate. Could the foodplant have been contaminated? If not, then look at possible air-borne causes such as: aerosol air-fresheners, plug-in air-fresheners, aromatherapy oils, scented candles, paint fumes, and flea sprays. How does the male or female stick insect recognize their opposite sex from their sex? Stick insects have good eyesight and so can recognise each other by sight. Male and female stick insects look completely different and so it is as obvious to a stick insect which is which, as it is to us humans. Do Australian Macleays stick insects do best on eucalyptus? At Small-Life Supplies, we have tried feeding Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) with various foodplants. We have found that newly hatched Australian stick insects do best on wild rose leaves. If these are not available, the newly hatched stick insects do well on Eucalyptus gunnii leaves. Larger Australian nymphs and adults will eat bramble (blackberry) leaves.
Which is the best diet for Indian stick insects: a variety of bramble, ivy and privet or just one of these? Indian stick insects do best if fed solely on green privet leaves. So at Small-Life Supplies, the Indian stick insects are fed on privet leaves. However, if privet is not readily available , or is turning yellow because of winter approaching, Indian stick insects are versatile enough to switch to eating ivy and bramble leaves. I have just ordered a Hierodula mantid off Small-Life Supplies and I was wondering, can it eat a whole Indian stick insect in one sitting? An adult Hierodula mantid can eat a whole adult Thailand stick insect or a whole Pink Winged stick insect in one sitting! The mantid takes several hours to finish a meal of this size. It is important not to disturb the mantid whilst it is eating because, if disturbed, the mantid can drop its food and not finish its meal. Indian stick insects are not suitable as mantid food. How long does it take for a newly hatched stick insect to grow into an adult one? Most stick insects mature in about five months, shedding their skin six times during this time. However, some species, such as the Malaysian stick insect Heteropteryx dilatata, take much longer to develop, achieving maturity after one year. Can you mix different species of stick insect together in the same cage? Ceratin types of stick insects can be kept together in the same cage, for example Indian stick insects, Pink Winged stick insects, Thailand stick insects and Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects are all compatible. All these species of stick insect do best in a well-ventilated cage such as the Bug Studio Professional.
I have four Indian stick insects in a Bug Studio Professional (eating bramble) and would like to add some more types. Which stick insects would you recommend? I prefer stick-like stick insects to chunky ones! You could mix Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) and Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) in the same Bug Studio Professional as your Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) because all of these stick insects do best in a large airy cage. They all eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. Thailand stick insects are very stick-like and are longer and thinner than Indian stick insects. Pink Winged stick insects are slender and graceful and their wings appear after the last skin-change. Thailand and Pink Winged stick insects are sold in packs of four, and there would be room in the Bug Studio Professional to house those plus your existing four Indian stick insects. My son's African Land snail ate half a cucumber before sealing itself in its shell. We think it may be hibernating, it has remained sealed in its shell for about seven weeks. How long can in hibernate for if it is cold? How would we know if it is dead? Giant African Land Snails can remain sealed up in their shells for a few months if they are cold. So you may prefer to wake the snail up and relocate its cage to somewhere warmer in your house. To wake the snail up, just place its shell in a very shallow dish of luke warm water, ensuring that the white seal and the breathing hole (clearly visible in the seal) are above the level of the water, otherwise there is a risk of drowning. The snail will slowly wake up and push off the seal. You may need to replace the water a few times so that it remains luke warm and not cold. Giant African Land Snails like company and so your snail would probably be more active if it had some companions. Dead snails give off a very bad smell and usually hang out of their shells. What colour are Indian stick insects eggs? Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) eggs are light brown. The egg is round and has a yellow lid (operculum) which is pushed off by the emerging insect when the egg hatches. Do stick insects live in the wild in this country (Great Britain) ? The Acanthoxylla species of stick insect, originally from New Zealand, established itself in the South West of Britain over a hundred years ago and continues to survive there, in the mild climate, eating bramble and certain conifer leaves. Elsewhere in the UK, some escaped pet stick insects can survive a few months during the summer if they are not eaten by wasps and birds, but these stick insects are killed off by the autumn and winter frosts.
I'd like to buy my granddaughter some stick insects for Christmas. What type would you recommend as being rewarding pets? Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are a good species to start with because these stick insects are easy to handle, are active and are easy to feed, eating privet, ivy and bramble (blackberry) leaves. Your granddaughter can watch them grow (they grow by climbing out of their skins) and when they are fully grown, she can save a few eggs and hatch out the next generation of Indian stick insects in four months time. Four Indian stick insects are supplied as part of the Starting Out Kit. My daughter has Indian stick insects and Sabah stick insects and has been saving their eggs. Four Sabah stick insects have hatched recently but two of them have since died. In the same QBOX I have also got some Indian stick eggs, is this OK? Sabah stick insects (Aretaon asperrimus) and their eggs require more humid conditions than Indian stick insects. So place Sabah stick insect eggs on damp kitchen roll in the QBOX and spray them lightly with water. When they hatch, it is important to transfer them to another QBOX and insert a wet bramble leaf. In contrast, Indian stick insect eggs and newly hatched Indian stick insects need to be kept in drier conditions. So mixing the two species is not going to work, as you have found. Ideally you would need four QBOXES; one QBOX for Sabah stick insect eggs, one QBOX for Indian stick insect eggs, one QBOX for newly hatched Sabah stick insects (with wet bramble leaves) and one QBOX for newly hatched Indian stick insects (with slightly wet privet or bramble leaves). I have 6 Annam stick insects and are worried that the larger stick insects are going to eat my smaller ones. Do stick insects eat each other? Annam is a province in Vietnam and so Annam stick insects are usually called Vietnamese stick insects and have the Latin species name Baculum extradentatum. They are a long twig-like species of stick insect, the females' bodies have a rougher texture than the males. They lay tiny grey eggs with black lids. Like most other stick insects, Vietnamese stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. They do not each other but can fight if very stressed, for example if they are overcrowded or short of water or food. My Ghana Praying Mantis has just left a sac of what I assume are eggs? Do these need to be fertilised to have any chance of hatching? If not, how long will it take for them to hatch? Lone adult female Ghana mantids can lay an egg sac (ootheca) without mating, this process of reproduction is called parthenogenesis. The female mantid can produce up to four egg sacs in her lifetime, although it is most common just to see one or two egg sacs being produced. The chances of any hatching are slim, but sometimes a few baby females do emerge, so it is worth keeping the oothecae for two months in case any insects do emerge. In contrast, oothecae produced by females who have mated, usually hatch after a few weeks with up to one hundred baby mantids emerging all at once.
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