Stick insects are often called phasmids. It is their distinctive sticklike shape that gives them their common name. However they can also be leaf -shaped or grass-like in appearance. Their bodies can be anywhere between 30 mm to 300 mm in length. Stick insects are some of the largest insects in the animal world. They are green or brown in colour but may have some colouring in less visible parts of the body such as under the wings.
Available in Australia:
- Goliath Stick Insect
- Spiny Leaf Insect
- Rentz’s Stick Insect
- Australian Leaf Insect
- Peppermint stick insect
- Red-winged Stick Insect
- Cigar Stick Insect
- Crowned Stick Insect (Lichen form)
Most stick insects feed on eucalyptus leaves. However, outside Australia bramble leaves have been used as a food source.
There are generally tolerant of handling. They cannot bite or sting. If handled poorly, they may become annoyed. Small sharp spines on their undersides and legs can be used to compress the handler’s fingers or palm and can cause pain and discomfort. Generally the best way to handle and insect is to hold your palm open, above the stick insect and to let the insect walk/climb onto your hand. They have a natural instinct to climb so it usually works better if your hand is held above the insect.
To encourage them to move they can be gently nudged from behind and below. Another technique is to pick them up very gently between thumb and forefinger on the hard part of their bodies – the thorax. This can sometimes be important if you insect needs to be cleaned. Remember stick insects are delicate creatures. Phasmids are most comfortable hanging upside Let the stick insect take the lead in being handled.
Nymphs can be picked up using a clean, dry paintbrush and should not be handled until they are mature. Leaves should be provided as soon as they hatch as they will begin feeding immediately, however care should be made to ensure that tiny insects do not wander into and drown in the container holding the leaves.
....
Stick Insects as Pets.
Stick insects can be regarded as very low maintenance pets. A few layers of simple newspaper on the floor of the cage can be used to catch droppings (a.k.a. frass) and eggs. The cage can be cleaned simply by removing this layer. Eucalyptus leaves can last up to a week, immersed like flowers in a pot or vase of water.
The top of the container should be sealed with plastic cling wrap to stop insects falling in and drowning. Fresh leaves should be available. Remember new leaves often have higher levels of eucalyptus chemicals than older leaves, so mature leaves are generally preferred. However very young insects will not eat older growth until they are more mature.
Stick insects do not drink from water containers. They imbibe water from droplets on the plant leaves. If pots of water are placed within their enclosure, they can fall in and drown.
They are very quiet pets, so some effort needs to be made to display them. They prefer to remain camouflaged and still, blending in with their surroundings. They will remain motionless for long periods of time.
If they are disturbed, they generally remain still, or sway and have been known to act dead by dropping to the ground somewhat like a falling branch. They can also raise their wings and make a fluttering or hissing sound. They generally poor fliers, but need to be kept in well screened enclosures.
In their natural habitat stick insects are found on the foliage of trees and shrubs, on herbs, grass tussocks or in leaf litter.
Terrarium Homes
Young insects are small so there should be no gaps larger than 0.5mm in their enclosure habitat. Due to the extremely small size of the young nymphs after they have hatched from the eggs, their enclosure must be screened with a very fine mesh. Fly screen is too coarse – standard mesh diameter being usually of the order of 1.2 mm. there are finer grades of insect mesh such as Midge proof screening.
An alternate technique is to store the eggs in a plastic container with some ventilation holes drilled to allow the escape of moisture. Humidity can harm the insects and eggs if fungal growth occurs.
Faintly damp peat moss laid over tissue paper is a suitable substrate for the eggs. Eggs can take some time to hatch. Some enthusiasts report up to a year. When they hatch they generally look like small black insects with curly tails.
After the nymphs' first moult they will turn brown and begin looking like miniature adults. This will take about 2-3 weeks. Once they have had their first moult, they will be much larger, and they will no longer "run". At this stage you can introduce them to the main cage.
Stick Insect Brisbane
Stick Insect Enclosures.
Stick insects require some airflow enough space for the insects to hang from branches. They generally require a height of approximately three times the adult length of the insect for comfort. In terms of population density, some enthusiasts report keeping up to 12 insects in an enclosure 90 cm high with a 60 cm x 60 cm base.
Surfaces should be robust enough to tolerate cleaning. Doors need to fit snugly to prevent the escape of the young insects. There needs to be sufficient access to easily replace the food branches and the water container in which they sit.
Generally two sheets of newspaper on the floor of the cage are satisfactory to collect droppings and other debris. They help to considerably reduce the need for cleaning. Some enthusiasts use two vases containing eucalyptus leaves and branches. As one collection of eucalyptus leaves and branches ages and dries out, another can be introduced. The insects then tend to migrate to the newer fresher food source.
Watering your stick insects
Phasmids drink droplets from the leaves and can be watered by providing them with a daily misting using a spray bottle. Too much moisture can lead to mould which can harm phasmids.
A simple spray bottle is satisfactory, but must be free from chemicals which can harm the insect. Stick insects require fresh water every day in the form of droplets sprayed on the leaves of the eucalyptus plants. Do NOT put a water dish in the cage, as the insects will not drink from it and might fall into it and drown.
Breeding Spiny Leaf Insects
If you have a male and female stick insect, they will probably mate and the female will begin laying eggs within a few weeks. When changing the newspaper on the floor of the cage, take a minute to collect any eggs that lie among the excrement. The excrement is dry, not unpleasantly odiferous and smells like eucalyptus .
Note that parthenogenesis is possible in spiny leaf insects- the female can lay eggs without a male but they will be genetically uniform and identical to their mother and siblings.
A veterinarian cannot do anything for a sick insect, but there are effective ways of reducing the risk of sickness:
- Spiny Leaf Insect
Extatosoma tiaratum
Also known as ‘Macleay’s Spectre’ after Naturalist and Australian Museum Trustee (1841-62) William Sharp Macleay and its ghostly appearance. This harmless insect was used to terrify movie-goers in the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Children's Stick Insect
Tropidoderus childrenii
Like the Spiny Leaf Insect, this species has a high degree of ‘sexual dimorphism’ which is the difference in size and shape between males and females. In this species the females look like 'leaves' and males look like 'sticks'. Children’s Stick Insects are easy to keep and both males and females are easy to handle
- Goliath Stick Insect
Eurycnema goliath
One of the largest species of stick insect in Australia with females growing over 200mm. These insects make spectacular display animals due to their impressive size and vivid green and gold markings. Males have similar colour and patterning but are smaller, have wings and are capable of flight. The eggs of this species are large (3mm), have a grainy bark-like texture and are cylindrical in shape.
- Margin-winged Stick Insect
Ctenomorpha marginipennis
These are the true 'sticks' of the stick insect world and will blend in to become invisible on any branch. The females grow to around 175mm and have long bodies that are uniform brown without any markings or features.
Brisbane Giant Burrowing Cockroach
The Giant Burrowing Cockroach
as a House Pet.
Macropanesthia rhinoceros
The Giant Burrowing Cockroach is the world's heaviest cockroach, weighing up to 30 grams and reaching 7.5 cm in length. These smooth, shiny brown cockroaches never have wings and live in permanent burrows in the soil where females care for their young. These native Australians occur in open forests in northern Queensland. Giant Burrowing Cockroaches can survive as pets for up to 10 years.
They use their legs to dig burrows up to a metre deep in the soil in their natural habitat, creating a chamber at the end of the burrow. They forage on the surface at night for dry leaves, taking some down the burrow for food.
They use their stout, spiny legs to dig burrows up to a metre deep in the soil, with a chamber at the end. At night they come to the surface and forage for dry leaves, taking some down the burrow for food. So obtain dead leaves from the ground or from dead branches.
They won't eat leaves which are green or yellow or damp, i.e. any leaves containing moisture are unsuitable. They prefer leaves which are crushed, rather than whole. They also prefer the less aromatic types, although this isn't critical. A handful of leaves at a time will be sufficient, and discard old uneaten leaves from time to time.
They have adapted to living in cramped quarters, so virtually any small container will suffice. A fish tank or terrarium is ideal.
Remember they are very susceptible to insecticides. Do not use best sprays or insect repellent is near them.
In nature they live in sandy soil, but when in a container they must be kept in sand or kitty litter. If there is any soil included it will compact due to lack of drainage and aeration.
A depth of 2 to 3 centimetres is adequate. A greater depth will allow you to control the moisture content more easily, as it won't tend to dry out so quickly, but your pets may remain buried a little more. Experiment if you like with having deep substrate up one end of the tank and shallow sand at the other.
It is critical to keep the sand uniformly moist (not just surface damp) - never allow it to dry out completely, or your pets may die of dehydration. On the other hand, don't water-log, or they could drown. Regular spraying/dampening will be required.
In large containers, it is fine to have moist substrate on one side and dry on the other, in order to give your Giant Cockroaches some variety.
Too much water or humidity may allow mould to develop. You can control this by alternately covering and uncovering the container. If you go away for holidays in summer, it's best to leave the container covered, so things won't dry out too quickly.
Providing the substrate is kept wet, your Giant Burrowing Cockroach will require no additional drinking water.
Inside their natural burrows the temperature remains about 20 degrees Centigrade all year. Their preferred temperature range is 18 - 26 degrees, so keep them in a warm place in winter.
The cockroaches don't appear to mind whether they are kept in the dark or light but take care not to expose them to direct sunlight for long periods - this can kill them.
In addition to dried gum leaves, they will also nibble the bark from gum twigs, and may sample a variety of fruits and vegetables, e.g. banana, apple, carrot, lettuce, potato etc., but remove any uneaten portions after a few days, or they will go mouldy.
If you do vary their diet, always ensure that they have their gum leaves as well - whilst common household roaches can survive on virtually anything, the Giant Burrowing Cockroach will die without its natural diet of dry leaves.
Unlike pest varieties, the Giant Burrowing Cockroach is clean and perfectly safe to handle. They won't bite, but they do have powerful, spiny legs, which can sometimes feel a bit sharp. These enable the creature to burrow so efficiently that it can disappear into the soil in under a minute. They will usually remain on the surface, unless you provide them with a lot of sand. In this case they can stay buried for long periods, but they don't appear to mind being frequently dug up, as long as they are handled gently.
They don't usually mind being handled, and may even make a soft hissing sound when stroked gently, but please don't ever handle them roughly - this could kill them.
You may occasionally notice tiny mites on your pets. Don't be alarmed - these exist in a 'symbiotic relationship' with the cockroach - which is to say that both creatures live together for their mutual benefit. The mites help to keep the roaches clean, and they need to stay on a cockroach to survive. They are not harmful to people, so if one gets onto you it won't hurt or become a pest - it will simply fall off and die.
Stick insects are often called phasmids. It is their distinctive sticklike shape that gives them their common name. However they can also be leaf -shaped or grass-like in appearance. Their bodies can be anywhere between 30 mm to 300 mm in length. Stick insects are some of the largest insects in the animal world. They are green or brown in colour but may have some colouring in less visible parts of the body such as under the wings.
Available in Australia:
- Goliath Stick Insect
- Spiny Leaf Insect
- Rentz’s Stick Insect
- Australian Leaf Insect
- Peppermint stick insect
- Red-winged Stick Insect
- Cigar Stick Insect
- Crowned Stick Insect (Lichen form)
Most stick insects feed on eucalyptus leaves. However, outside Australia bramble leaves have been used as a food source.
There are generally tolerant of handling. They cannot bite or sting. If handled poorly, they may become annoyed. Small sharp spines on their undersides and legs can be used to compress the handler’s fingers or palm and can cause pain and discomfort. Generally the best way to handle and insect is to hold your palm open, above the stick insect and to let the insect walk/climb onto your hand. They have a natural instinct to climb so it usually works better if your hand is held above the insect.
To encourage them to move they can be gently nudged from behind and below. Another technique is to pick them up very gently between thumb and forefinger on the hard part of their bodies – the thorax. This can sometimes be important if you insect needs to be cleaned. Remember stick insects are delicate creatures. Phasmids are most comfortable hanging upside Let the stick insect take the lead in being handled.
Nymphs can be picked up using a clean, dry paintbrush and should not be handled until they are mature. Leaves should be provided as soon as they hatch as they will begin feeding immediately, however care should be made to ensure that tiny insects do not wander into and drown in the container holding the leaves.
....
Stick Insects as Pets.
Stick insects can be regarded as very low maintenance pets. A few layers of simple newspaper on the floor of the cage can be used to catch droppings (a.k.a. frass) and eggs. The cage can be cleaned simply by removing this layer. Eucalyptus leaves can last up to a week, immersed like flowers in a pot or vase of water.
The top of the container should be sealed with plastic cling wrap to stop insects falling in and drowning. Fresh leaves should be available. Remember new leaves often have higher levels of eucalyptus chemicals than older leaves, so mature leaves are generally preferred. However very young insects will not eat older growth until they are more mature.
Stick insects do not drink from water containers. They imbibe water from droplets on the plant leaves. If pots of water are placed within their enclosure, they can fall in and drown.
They are very quiet pets, so some effort needs to be made to display them. They prefer to remain camouflaged and still, blending in with their surroundings. They will remain motionless for long periods of time.
If they are disturbed, they generally remain still, or sway and have been known to act dead by dropping to the ground somewhat like a falling branch. They can also raise their wings and make a fluttering or hissing sound. They generally poor fliers, but need to be kept in well screened enclosures.
In their natural habitat stick insects are found on the foliage of trees and shrubs, on herbs, grass tussocks or in leaf litter.
Terrarium Homes
Young insects are small so there should be no gaps larger than 0.5mm in their enclosure habitat. Due to the extremely small size of the young nymphs after they have hatched from the eggs, their enclosure must be screened with a very fine mesh. Fly screen is too coarse – standard mesh diameter being usually of the order of 1.2 mm. there are finer grades of insect mesh such as Midge proof screening.
An alternate technique is to store the eggs in a plastic container with some ventilation holes drilled to allow the escape of moisture. Humidity can harm the insects and eggs if fungal growth occurs.
Faintly damp peat moss laid over tissue paper is a suitable substrate for the eggs. Eggs can take some time to hatch. Some enthusiasts report up to a year. When they hatch they generally look like small black insects with curly tails.
After the nymphs' first moult they will turn brown and begin looking like miniature adults. This will take about 2-3 weeks. Once they have had their first moult, they will be much larger, and they will no longer "run". At this stage you can introduce them to the main cage.
Stick Insect Brisbane
Stick Insect Enclosures.
Stick insects require some airflow enough space for the insects to hang from branches. They generally require a height of approximately three times the adult length of the insect for comfort. In terms of population density, some enthusiasts report keeping up to 12 insects in an enclosure 90 cm high with a 60 cm x 60 cm base.
Surfaces should be robust enough to tolerate cleaning. Doors need to fit snugly to prevent the escape of the young insects. There needs to be sufficient access to easily replace the food branches and the water container in which they sit.
Generally two sheets of newspaper on the floor of the cage are satisfactory to collect droppings and other debris. They help to considerably reduce the need for cleaning. Some enthusiasts use two vases containing eucalyptus leaves and branches. As one collection of eucalyptus leaves and branches ages and dries out, another can be introduced. The insects then tend to migrate to the newer fresher food source.
Watering your stick insects
Phasmids drink droplets from the leaves and can be watered by providing them with a daily misting using a spray bottle. Too much moisture can lead to mould which can harm phasmids.
A simple spray bottle is satisfactory, but must be free from chemicals which can harm the insect. Stick insects require fresh water every day in the form of droplets sprayed on the leaves of the eucalyptus plants. Do NOT put a water dish in the cage, as the insects will not drink from it and might fall into it and drown.
Breeding Spiny Leaf Insects
If you have a male and female stick insect, they will probably mate and the female will begin laying eggs within a few weeks. When changing the newspaper on the floor of the cage, take a minute to collect any eggs that lie among the excrement. The excrement is dry, not unpleasantly odiferous and smells like eucalyptus .
Note that parthenogenesis is possible in spiny leaf insects- the female can lay eggs without a male but they will be genetically uniform and identical to their mother and siblings.
A veterinarian cannot do anything for a sick insect, but there are effective ways of reducing the risk of sickness:
- Spiny Leaf Insect
Extatosoma tiaratum
Also known as ‘Macleay’s Spectre’ after Naturalist and Australian Museum Trustee (1841-62) William Sharp Macleay and its ghostly appearance. This harmless insect was used to terrify movie-goers in the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Children's Stick Insect
Tropidoderus childrenii
Like the Spiny Leaf Insect, this species has a high degree of ‘sexual dimorphism’ which is the difference in size and shape between males and females. In this species the females look like 'leaves' and males look like 'sticks'. Children’s Stick Insects are easy to keep and both males and females are easy to handle
- Goliath Stick Insect
Eurycnema goliath
One of the largest species of stick insect in Australia with females growing over 200mm. These insects make spectacular display animals due to their impressive size and vivid green and gold markings. Males have similar colour and patterning but are smaller, have wings and are capable of flight. The eggs of this species are large (3mm), have a grainy bark-like texture and are cylindrical in shape.
- Margin-winged Stick Insect
Ctenomorpha marginipennis
These are the true 'sticks' of the stick insect world and will blend in to become invisible on any branch. The females grow to around 175mm and have long bodies that are uniform brown without any markings or features.
Brisbane Giant Burrowing Cockroach
The Giant Burrowing Cockroach
as a House Pet.
Macropanesthia rhinoceros
The Giant Burrowing Cockroach is the world's heaviest cockroach, weighing up to 30 grams and reaching 7.5 cm in length. These smooth, shiny brown cockroaches never have wings and live in permanent burrows in the soil where females care for their young. These native Australians occur in open forests in northern Queensland. Giant Burrowing Cockroaches can survive as pets for up to 10 years.
They use their legs to dig burrows up to a metre deep in the soil in their natural habitat, creating a chamber at the end of the burrow. They forage on the surface at night for dry leaves, taking some down the burrow for food.
They use their stout, spiny legs to dig burrows up to a metre deep in the soil, with a chamber at the end. At night they come to the surface and forage for dry leaves, taking some down the burrow for food. So obtain dead leaves from the ground or from dead branches.
They won't eat leaves which are green or yellow or damp, i.e. any leaves containing moisture are unsuitable. They prefer leaves which are crushed, rather than whole. They also prefer the less aromatic types, although this isn't critical. A handful of leaves at a time will be sufficient, and discard old uneaten leaves from time to time.
They have adapted to living in cramped quarters, so virtually any small container will suffice. A fish tank or terrarium is ideal.
Remember they are very susceptible to insecticides. Do not use best sprays or insect repellent is near them.
In nature they live in sandy soil, but when in a container they must be kept in sand or kitty litter. If there is any soil included it will compact due to lack of drainage and aeration.
A depth of 2 to 3 centimetres is adequate. A greater depth will allow you to control the moisture content more easily, as it won't tend to dry out so quickly, but your pets may remain buried a little more. Experiment if you like with having deep substrate up one end of the tank and shallow sand at the other.
It is critical to keep the sand uniformly moist (not just surface damp) - never allow it to dry out completely, or your pets may die of dehydration. On the other hand, don't water-log, or they could drown. Regular spraying/dampening will be required.
In large containers, it is fine to have moist substrate on one side and dry on the other, in order to give your Giant Cockroaches some variety.
Too much water or humidity may allow mould to develop. You can control this by alternately covering and uncovering the container. If you go away for holidays in summer, it's best to leave the container covered, so things won't dry out too quickly.
Providing the substrate is kept wet, your Giant Burrowing Cockroach will require no additional drinking water.
Inside their natural burrows the temperature remains about 20 degrees Centigrade all year. Their preferred temperature range is 18 - 26 degrees, so keep them in a warm place in winter.
The cockroaches don't appear to mind whether they are kept in the dark or light but take care not to expose them to direct sunlight for long periods - this can kill them.
In addition to dried gum leaves, they will also nibble the bark from gum twigs, and may sample a variety of fruits and vegetables, e.g. banana, apple, carrot, lettuce, potato etc., but remove any uneaten portions after a few days, or they will go mouldy.
If you do vary their diet, always ensure that they have their gum leaves as well - whilst common household roaches can survive on virtually anything, the Giant Burrowing Cockroach will die without its natural diet of dry leaves.
Unlike pest varieties, the Giant Burrowing Cockroach is clean and perfectly safe to handle. They won't bite, but they do have powerful, spiny legs, which can sometimes feel a bit sharp. These enable the creature to burrow so efficiently that it can disappear into the soil in under a minute. They will usually remain on the surface, unless you provide them with a lot of sand. In this case they can stay buried for long periods, but they don't appear to mind being frequently dug up, as long as they are handled gently.
They don't usually mind being handled, and may even make a soft hissing sound when stroked gently, but please don't ever handle them roughly - this could kill them.
You may occasionally notice tiny mites on your pets. Don't be alarmed - these exist in a 'symbiotic relationship' with the cockroach - which is to say that both creatures live together for their mutual benefit. The mites help to keep the roaches clean, and they need to stay on a cockroach to survive. They are not harmful to people, so if one gets onto you it won't hurt or become a pest - it will simply fall off and die.