The Newborn Nymphs of the Interesting Insects

n                     Well, not really me. And not really a Daddy. But my stickninsects have had babies. Well, not babies. Baby, really. Just the one. My stickninsects have had a baby. Well, when I say ‘had a baby’ I mean that an egg hasnhatched. Without any help from me. I spent this afternoon cleaning out one ofnthe tanks and collecting the eggs from the sand at the bottom, with anmagnifying glass and tweezers. Lots of eggs. And putting them in a plastic box,nwith a very slightly damp cloth under them. They should, everything going well,nhatch in about three months or so. 

n

n

nThat’s the beauty of breeding these things –nyou just can’t be sure, you have to just wait. It’s more or less certain thatnthey will hatch, but you don’t know when. And then, when I was tidying up, Inspotted it. A tiny, perfectly formed baby stick insect. So, where there is one,nmore will follow. Just a matter of time. How long depends on when the eggs werenlaid and which I have collected and which I have missed. The eggs are tiny.nHere is picture of one and below it the same picture with dimensions added. 

n

n

n

nTheneggs are very dark brown or grey, almost spherical, with a tiny beige plug atnone end, through which the new nymph will emerge. The eggs are about threenmillimetres long and the nymphs are about one centimetre long, like a tinynthread with legs. They grow quickly, moulting their skins as they grow, andnreach adulthood in around six months. 

n

n

nThis is one reason why they are suchngreat pets for children. They breed readily and are fascinating to watch asnthey grow, and very easy to keep; they need fresh food and a light misting withnwarm water once or twice a week, and to be well ventilated to prevent mould,nwith about four times their length in height in the container to allow themnenough room to hang down and moult, and will thrive at room temperature. 

n

n

nA fishntank, turned on one end and with a mesh cover, is an excellent home but an oldnsweet jar with small holes in the lid will suffice; avoid artificial light (rednor blue bulbs if you must) and keep them out of direct sunlight. The ‘common’nstick insect is the Indian stick insect, also called the laboratory stickninsect, Carausius morosus, the culture stock originated at Tamil Nadu,nIndia, the captive population are almost exclusively female (about one in tennthousand wild insects are male – a male is hardly ever seen in captivity), andnthey breed by parthenogenesis. 

n

n

nThe adults are between eight and ten centimetresnin length and feed readily on privet, bramble or ivy (although a couple ofnescapees of mine – since recaptured – have dined royally on a Swiss Cheesenplant). They will take other green leaves – lettuce and pyrocantha arenfavoured; rose, raspberry and hypericum will sometimes be eaten – but any formnof brassica or carrot should be avoided. 

n

n

nPhasmids are nocturnal and it isnsometimes disconcerting to look into a seemingly empty tank during the daytimenonly to be surprised by the same tank at night, when it has somehow beennmagically filled with insects. The camouflage of the stick insect is rightlynrenowned, for they are maddeningly difficult to spot even when you know theynare there, and it makes cleaning out a tank or cage an interesting exercise innhaving your wits about you – I move any old foliage into another container forna couple of days, just in case I’ve missed any of the little rascals. 

n

n

nTheynemploy two main methods of disguise – one is to rest with their limbs extended,nperfectly still, like the proverbial stick or twig; the other is to rock like antwig swaying in a breeze, looking for all the world like they’ve been at thensauce all afternoon. 

n

n

nStrangely, for a creature so well camouflaged, they havenvery vivid red flashes on their forelegs that, considering the lack of males,ncannot be for attracting mates, so must serve a deterrent or warning purpose. 

n

n

nInhave not read anywhere how the stick insect tastes, (Frank Buckland, where arenyou now?), but bright colours in nature tend to point to a foul taste, althoughnconsidering their penchant for deception, the stick insect may simply be pretendingnto be poisonous – I wouldn’t put it past them!

n

n

n

n