Stick insects and cats -
what are the risks? Tabs, my tabby cat is very curious and so I need to know
how she's likely to react when I get some stick insects.
At Small-Life Supplies we have always had cats,
both resident and visiting. Some show no interest in the stick insects, but
others, (like Tabs probably will be), are interested and will watch the stick
insects in the ELC cages. But instead of looking through the clear panels, cats
prefer to watch (and smell) through the thick plastic white mesh sides. The ELC
stick insect cage is robust and so even if a cat repeatedly taps the cage with
a paw, no damage is done to the cage or the stick insects. (The outcome is very
different with netting enclosures which can be easily snagged by the cats'
claws). So, I'd recommend housing your stick insects in the ELC cage, so
they'll be safe from Tabs! And when you apply the "spot-on" flea treatment to
Tabs' neck, be sure to keep her in a different room to the stick insects for 24
hours, so that there is no risk of the airborne molecules from the pesticide
flea treatment wafting over to the stick insects and killing
them.
I
just saw a pet shop advertising massive, and I mean really huge, African land
snails, I think they've had these shipped in from Africa. This can't be morally
right, surely? No, I am
against the importing of wild creatures to the pet trade in the UK. That is why
Small-Life Supplies has never done this and instead breed and rear insects and
snails in our breeding facility in the UK. This also has the advantage that the
creatures are used to being handled and are used to living indoors in the UK.
This means that when they are delivered to their new homes, they can settle in
quickly and continue to live a healthy life. In contrast, wild caught creatures
are frightened, bewildered and stressed, and this can lead to premature deaths.
Some pet shops use the abbreviations "CB" (captive bred) and "WC" (wild caught)
to let their customers know the origin of the stock. However, some unscrupulous
pet shops do not do this and so customers are unaware they are buying a
creature that is used to living in the wild and so it is unlikely to be able to
readjust and become a happy pet.
Every now and then I'll find an extra small
egg, from my Indian stick insects. Two this week, are these duds do you think?
They are so small it's hard to imagine a nymph would fit.
Thank you for the photo, I
can see the vast majority of your Indian stick insect (Carausius
morosus) eggs are looking good, but you have two tiny ones. When keeping
stick insects, it's important to breed from the healthy eggs and discard those
eggs that are misshapen and/or undersized. This ensures that your population of
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) stays healthy and strong. The
dud eggs that you have photographed are unlikely to hatch and even if one did,
the resultant baby (first instar nymph) would be so tiny and weak, she would be
unlikely to survive. An adult Indian stick insect will lay eggs every day for
the seven months of her adult life. The eggs laid at the very start and the
very end of this period are not of the best quality and so it's best not to
save those ones.
Im finding this time of year difficult in terms of
finding suitable bramble for my Indian stick insect nymphs (2 weeks and 8 weeks
old). The older, tougher bramble has now gone in my area, so when are the newer
leaves officially safe to feed them? The oldest leaves I can access are large,
soft and slightly paler than the previous growth
The photographs you have sent of the new bramble
(blackberry) leaves are good to give to your stick insects. Each bramble leaf
can be made up of three parts, or five parts. The minimum size of each part
needs to be 3cm to be safe for the stick insects to eat. This is demonstrated
in the Small-Life Supplies YouTube video, called
How To Feed Stick Insects in
the Spring # 001
I have a stick insect enclosure question, is a 50cm tall cage
better than a 30cm tall cage? For housing Indian stick insects.
Stick insects should not be
cramped and so need to live in a tall cage, at least 48cm high. The ELC stick
insect cage is 51cm tall and is the best enclosure for Indian stick insects
(Carausius morosus). Containers that are only 30cm tall are too small to
house Indian stick insect adults. And it is bad when some sellers promote these
small containers as "arboreal" housing, when they are clearly not.
My two
Pink Winged stick insects will be arriving next week, so exciting! Are there
any other winged types of stick insects that are easy to keep and that I could
add to their ELC stick insect home?
There aren't many winged stick insects, most
species are wingless. Some species such as the Thailand Straight
(Phaenopharos herwaardeni) have tiny red wings that are designed to be
flashed to startle a predator and are not designed for flying. The adult male
Australian Macleays Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum) has large functional
wings, and does well in the ELC cage. But if you kept him, you would need an
adult female Australian Macleays Spectre as well, and she has small vestigial
wings which are too small for flying. Both the Pink Winged stick insects
(Sipyloidea sipylus) and the Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects
eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and also eucalyptus leaves. Because the
Australian Macleays Spectre stick insects are so big and bulky, it's best to
only house one pair of them in the same ELC cage as your two Pink Winged stick
insects, to minimise the risk of a bulky stick insect accidentally treading on
a slimmer stick insect. It's fun keeping flying stick insects, because you can
take them out of the ELC cage once a week and let them have a fly around a
room.
I'm
finding your website difficult to see on my phone, please help!
It's easy to increase the
font size on your mobile phone, by using these methods: 1) Activate
"auto-rotate". If you have an iphone, swipe down from the top-right corner of
your screen to open Control Center. Tap the Portrait Orientation Lock
button to make sure that it's off. Turn your iPhone sideways. 2) If you
have an android phone, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the quick
settings panel, then tap the "Auto rotate" or "Portrait" icon. If the icon
is highlighted in blue or white and says "Auto rotate", then it's already
enabled. If it's grey and says "Portrait", tap it to enable
auto-rotate. You can then turn your phone to the right to 3 o'clock, and
view the website in landscape mode, which makes everything larger and easier to
read. 3). You can also try the spreading motion with two fingers on your
screen. Spreading should zoom in on your page and enlarge the text while
pinching will zoom out and make text smaller. 4) Your phone may have a
"magnifier app" which you can switch on.
Is it common for stick
insects to moult in the day? My third instar Indian stick insect has had both
moults in the middle of the day so far. I thought they were supposed to moult
at night or early morning. Usually stick insects shed their skins when it is dark, so during the
night is the most popular time. However, stick insects can shed their skins
during the day, if they feel particularly safe and secure. So your Indian stick
insect (Carausius morosus) has chosen to shed her skin (this process is
called ecdysis) during the day, and fortunately has been successful both times.
At "Bug Club",
the visiting guest said Pink Winged stick insects were discovered 166 years
ago. How can she be so sure of this?
Your guest speaker was referring to the year that
the Pink Winged stick insect was assigned its Latin species name, Sipyloidea
sipylus. At that time, in 1859, the esteemed British entomologist John
Westwood, who was associated with Oxford University, was instrumental in
classifying insects, including stick insects, to species level. So, in
recognition of this, his surname and year this identification was made, is
stated after the species. So, the complete full ID is Pink Winged stick insect
(Sipyloidea sipylus) Westwood 1859. This species continues to be one of
the most popular types of stick insect kept as pets today.
I've got 5 small green
stick insects and they all have food and leaves they eat but I've noticed a few
have been bending their antennae to their mouth so idk if they are eating or
cleaning? Your stick
insects are cleaning their antennae. This is done regularly because the
antennae are full of sensory hairs which must be kept clean so they can
continue to work properly. The stick insect passes one antenna through its wet
mouth at a time, using the front leg(s) to guide the antenna through the
mouthparts at the correct speed.
Have any of your Indian stick insect eggs
been majorly delayed by the recent winter? I had one hatch in early March that
was due late January, and Im still waiting for eggs that were due in
February/March. The eggs look normal and are kept around 20 Celsius (there is
nowhere warmer for them). Will the new season help them hatch?
Indian stick insect
(Carausius morosus) eggs usually hatch after four months, but this can
be longer during the winter months. At Small-Life Supplies, Indian stick insect
eggs laid 23rd December 2024 are hatching now, so these are hatching after four
months. But there are also some Indian stick insect eggs laid 21st November
2024 that are hatching now, so these have taken five months to hatch. There is
no need to keep stick insect eggs at 20 degrees Celsius. Our stick insect eggs
are all kept at 12 degrees Celsius during the night and approximately 18
degrees Celsius during the day. In the wild the temperature naturally
fluctuates between day and night and so it is recommended to mimic these
conditions in your home when keeping stick insect eggs, rather than trying to
maintain a constant high temperature. Now that Spring is here, we expect the
hatching time to continue at four months, but if we have a very hot summer, it
may reduce to three months.
I have heard that the young bright green
leaves on brambles can be poisonous to stick insects, would you be able to
confirm if this is true or not, I don't want to poison my
insects! Yes, it is
important to remove the tiny new pale green shoots of bramble. Bramble
(blackberry) leaves that are 3cm or larger are safe for stick insects to eat.
This is explained in the first Small-Life Supplies You Tube video:
How To Feed Stick Insects in
the Spring # 001
Is it better to buy eggs or actual stick
insects? My daughter will be nine next week and would love some twiggy stick
insects for her birthday. It's more exciting to receive the actual living stick insects, but
obviously you need to purchase these from a reputable supplier. Small-Life
Supplies has decades of experience sending out stick insects nationwide across
the UK and live arrival is guaranteed. The best type of stick insects for your
daughter to start with would be the Indian stick insects (Carausius
morosus). These are easy to handle, eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and do
best in the purpose-designed ELC stick insect cage. Young adults are being
dispatched now and so your daughter could save some of the eggs and look
forward to them hatching in four months time.
Our local pet shop (in
Cornwall) said we can go outside and find our own stick insects, but that can't
be right surely? The pet
shop will be referring to the New Zealand stick insect (Acanthoxyla
prasina). That species of stick insect has been living wild in Cornwall,
UK, for over one hundred years, having been brought over by mistake on cargo
ships in the early 1900s. Some people in Cornwall find these New Zealand stick
insects on their conifer hedges and rose bushes, or even on their houses when
it is getting colder in the autumn months. However, few people keep that
species as a pet, primarily because it does not seem to thrive in captivity.
So, if you would like to keep stick insects as pets, I'd recommend the easy
popular types, for example the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus),
Pink Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sipylus), Thailand stick insect
(Baculum thaii) and New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha
calcarata). Small-Life Supplies breed all these varieties and delivery is
within 24 hours nationwide. Live arrival is guaranteed.
Our Pink Winged ladies
are furnishing us with eggs. We are thrilled but would like your advice on what
to do next. Do we need a HAP?
Congratulations! Pink Winged stick insects
(Sipyloidea sipylus) are unusual in that they glue their eggs onto rough
surfaces. It is very important to leave the eggs where they have been glued so
that they can hatch successfully. This species has evolved like this for a
reason. So never remove the eggs because a Pink Winged stick insect will be
unable to free herself from an eggshell that is no longer stuck down. The baby
Pink Winged stick insect is relatively large and pale green and can live in the
ELC cage from birth. So no, you do not need a HAP. Don't give the eggs any
attention and they will start to hatch after three months.
I'm thinking of getting some
stick insects. Do their needs differ by breed? What breed is better for a first
time owner? Yes, some breeds
of stick insect are easier to keep than other breeds. The easiest breed of
stick insect to keep is the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus).
These stick insects eat bramble (blackberry) leaves, are safe to handle and do
best in the ELC stick insect cage.
How big should a stick insect cage be?
The size recommended would
be 51cm x 36cm x 27cm. The 51cm height is very important because stick insects
need a tall cage so that they have space to grow properly. Stick insects housed
in squat tanks are too cramped and are likely to have stunted growth, or even
worse, deformed bodies that are bent (instead of the being straight). The ELC
cage is 51cm tall and is the correct size for many popular stick insects
including the Indian stick insects, Pink Winged stick insects, Thailand stick
insects, New Guinea stick insects and many other species.
How quickly do UK
butterflies and moths lay their eggs? Is it seconds or minutes?
The time that it takes a
female adult butterfly or moth to lay an egg depends on what species she is and
how conscientious she is. For example, the female British Small White butterfly
Pieris rapae lays eggs singly on cruciferous plants, and so the
butterfly flies from leaf to leaf, pausing for a few seconds to stick an egg on
the leaf. In contrast, the female British Vapourer moth (Orgyia antiqua)
usually embarks on a six hour marathon of gluing her entire batch of
several hundred eggs, neatly in rows, side by side. However, a few individuals
are more slap dash and finish the job in half the time, but by laying fewer
eggs are not bothering to arrange them neatly.
My Indian stick with the
injured back legs is past her expected first moult date and is still eating and
pooing a lot. How many days can she delay before it becomes a concern?
Shes 28 days old and no signs of moulting, she was even resting happily
on the bottom this morning. Other than the leg injuries from birth, can you see
any reasons for this delay? Shes active and is turning green.
I can see from your photos
that this Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) is looking plump and
so she will be shedding her skin for the first time soon. Three weeks is the
average time before the first skin change (ecdysis), but another week or so of
delay is no cause for concern. It will be interesting to see how much
improvement there will be on the state of her back legs after her first skin
change, because they are quite badly misshapen.
How long is your 30% sale
off ELC cage Liners on for? It's just that I'm going away for Easter, and I
don't want them being delivered when I'm not here.
I'd recommend purchasing the ELC Liners now and
request delivery be delayed until after you get back. Small-Life Supplies
routinely accommodates such delivery requests. Using the disposable ELC Liners
makes your stick insect display look nice and the Liners are much better than
kitchen roll because they are not absorbent and so don't dry up the
surroundings. Also, the coating on the coloured side of the ELC Liner means
that the round stick insect eggs easily roll off when you tap the Liner
underneath. So this saves you lots of time when you are collecting your stick
insect eggs.
Can you tell me what the life span of a stick insect
is? Most stick insects live
for one year, some l8 months, and a few 2 - 3 years. The lifespan is determined
by the species and of course how well you are looking after them. More details
are on our latest YouTube video, Stick
Insect Birthdays Video #12
Which stick insects are best for early
years? We'd love to have some stick insects in our early years setting.
Indian stick insects
(Carausius morosus) do well in nursery schools because they are easy to
keep, safe to handle and can walk on your hands. The New Guinea stick insects
(Eurycantha calcarata) are popular amongst children who like dinosaurs
but can be scary to some other children. Both types eat bramble (blackberry)
leaves and do well in the ELC cage.
I was given a mixed bag of stick insects,
and after doing my research, I think I have four Indian stick insects, and one
lone male Thailand stick insect. I attach a photo, please can you confirm?
Also, will the male Thailand stick insect be lonely on his own, he's in the
same ELC cage as the Indian stick insects but he's not the same species?
Yes, you have identified
your stick insects correctly. And yes, the male Thailand stick insect
(Baculum thaii) needs the company of other Thailand stick insects, and
so I recommend you contact Small-Life Supplies and ask the price for one female
Thailand stick insect (of a similar size), or a pack of two females and another
male. There is plenty of room in the ELC cage for your four Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) and four Thailand stick insects. These two
species live well together in the ELC cage and both eat bramble (blackberry)
leaves.
Is
it a stick bug or a stick insect?
Stick insect is correct. Stick bug is more of a
slang term. Phasmid is the scientific word for a stick insect.
Are insect fairs still a
thing, or have they died a death like so many other events? We really enjoyed
meeting the Small-Life Supplies team at the Cambridge University Zoology
department event, but that was years ago, pre-Covid.
There are some invertebrate fairs in the UK, but
their main focus is on spiders, rather than insects. Attendance has fallen
considerably, one reason being that so much stock is readily available on-line.
The annual Cambridge event you mention is still happening but has been scaled
back and so unfortunately it is no longer commercially viable for Small-Life
Supplies to exhibit there.
Help needed with my mantis! It's a young
Giant Asian praying mantis, Hierodula membranacea. It came with an opaque
plastic soup pot, but she deserves an upgrade! The HAP looks good, but do you
do this in a larger size? The "URV round" is the best mantis enclosure. This is one of our new
products, and has been developed especially for mantids. It is clear, larger
than the HAP and has a ventilated lid. It's sent ready built and it is the
ideal size enclosure for a young mantid, being 15cm high and 15cm in diameter.
More details will be on this website soon, or you can pre-order by phoning
Small-Life Supplies on 01733 913480.
Gutted that I missed out on your Clearance
ELC stick insect cage with the green Liner last week, please can I be updated
when the next one is available?
The easiest way to get hold of one of our
cut-price lightly used ELC cages is to phone the office on 01733 913480, or to
keep checking the "Clearance Page". We use lots of ELC cages in our breeding
facility and keep replenishing them with new ELC cages that we continue to
manufacture here in the UK.
How long does a stick insect live?
A stick insect's life expectancy depends on what
species it is. Some species of stick insect live longer than others. Watch the
latest Small-Life Supplies YouTube video,"Stick Insect Birthdays" to find out
more: Stick Insect Birthdays Video
#12
How do you get the substrate not to mould? Their poops mould in
our glass tank. Stick
insects should not be housed in mouldy tanks because this is very unhealthy for
both the stick insects and for you. One of the issues with glass tanks is that
they have solid glass sides and so there is no natural cross-flow of air. This
means that the surroundings quickly become stuffy, and mould develops if you
have damp substrate. So, it's much better to house your stick insects in the
ELC cage, this enclosure has two full ventilated sides enabling a constant
through-draught of air. And, instead of using damp substrate, it is much better
to use paper Liners, these have the added advantage of making egg collecting
very easy because it is simple to spot the eggs on the Liner and pick them
up.
My
baby Indian stick insect (with the disabled back legs) has started pooing and I
found tiny bite marks in her food, so hopefully she will now grow to a healthy
size for her age. Is the back leg issue likely to affect her first moult?
It is good news that your
newly hatched Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) is now eating and
getting stronger. Her back leg issue will not affect her ability to shed her
skin. It is the front legs that are important in the skin-changing process
(ecdysis) and fortunately your stick insect's front legs are fine, so she
should be OK in shedding her skin successfully.
How long does a stick insect
live? A stick insect's life
expectancy depends on what species it is. Some species of stick insect live
longer than others. Watch the latest Small-Life Supplies YouTube video,"Stick
Insect Birthdays" to find out more: Stick Insect Birthdays Video #12
How do
you get the substrate not to mould? Their poops mould in our glass tank.
Stick insects should not be
housed in mouldy tanks because this is very unhealthy for both the stick
insects and for you. One of the issues with glass tanks is that they have solid
glass sides and so there is no natural cross-flow of air. This means that the
surroundings quickly become stuffy, and mould develops if you have damp
substrate. So, it's much better to house your stick insects in the ELC cage,
this enclosure has two full ventilated sides enabling a constant
through-draught of air. And, instead of using damp substrate, it is much better
to use paper Liners, these have the added advantage of making egg collecting
very easy because it is simple to spot the eggs on the Liner and pick them
up.
My
baby Indian stick insect (with the disabled back legs) has started pooing and I
found tiny bite marks in her food, so hopefully she will now grow to a healthy
size for her age. Is the back leg issue likely to affect her first moult?
It is good news that your
newly hatched Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) is now eating and
getting stronger. Her back leg issue will not affect her ability to shed her
skin. It is the front legs that are important in the skin-changing process
(ecdysis) and fortunately your stick insect's front legs are fine, so she
should be OK in shedding her skin successfully.
My stick insect family planning
has not gone quite as planned! I have three lovely late stage/just turned adult
Pink Winged sticks which is great. However only one of the four Indian stick
insect eggs I saved hatched and she is now a mid sized nymph and is now the
only Indian stick insect I have. Then last week I got the surprise of a newborn
Pink Winged stick insect! She must have hatched from an egg that I missed laid
by my oldest Pink Wing before she passed in December. I was planning on buying
my Indian stick insect some same-species friends when she reached adulthood but
am not sure what to do about the little one. I am not sure whether to save some
of my adult Pink Wings' eggs when they start laying? Would these offspring be
good company for her as they'd be younger? Or will she be fine with her big
sisters? I would be interested to know how much social benefit stick insects
gain from each other and how age and species affects this.
Your newly hatched Pink
Winged stick insect (Sipyloidea sipylus) needs to be in the same cage
with adult Pink Winged stick insects to encourage her to eat, so it is good
that you have adults. And yes, if you leave some of the new Pink Winged eggs
glued within the ELC cage, you can look forward to more emerging in three
months time. Your young Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) would
benefit from having company of her own kind, so I'd recommend you purchase a
pack of four Indian stick insect nymphs from Small-Life Supplies. (Both adults
and nymphs are offered for sale). If you explain what size your existing Indian
stick insect is, then similar size nymphs can be dispatched to you, so they
will all be of a similar age. You could also purchase a couple of young Pink
Winged nymphs, to keep your baby Pink Winged stick insect company. Small-Life
Supplies does not dispatch baby stick insects (because they are too delicate).
However, you can request small nymphs rather than large nymphs, so they would
only be a couple of months older than your existing Pink Winged stick insect.
My Indian
stick insect hatched overnight and her back legs got stuck in the egg. I had to
gently hold the egg so she could free herself. Now, she is struggling to use
her back legs to walk as there seems to be something wrong with them - they
dont bend or straighten properly. Will this be sorted over time or will
she have a disability? Thanks for the video, I can see it is as you describe. She also looks
undersized, but should improve after her first skin-change, if she gets that
far. Intervening to remove an eggshell should only be done if the eggshell is
attached to the tip of the abdomen (because it stops poo being released). It is
not recommended to pull the eggshell off the legs because this can cause
physical issues as you can see.
Do you ever do Flash Sales on ELC stick
insect cages? No, but you
can save money by purchasing a lightly used ELC cage. When in stock, these are
listed on the "Clearance and sale" page of this website, or you can phone
Small-Life Supplies on 01733 913480 to check availability.
Is it true that there is
only one species of honeybee, the species Apis mellifera? And is it honeybee or
honey bee? No. The Western
honey bee Apis mellifera is the main species that is bred commercially
for honey production, but there are 30 subspecies of this, reflecting
differences in physical characteristcs and behaviour. For example, the Italian
honey bee Apis mellifera ligustica is smaller with a gentle temperament
but readily rob other hives. And the Apis mellifera caucasica, known as
the Caucasian bee (because it originates from the Caucasus region) is a large
grey bee that is quite productive. The honey bees in the UK are the Apis
mellifera mellifera species, currently at risk from varroa mites. A
different species of honey bee is the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana,
found in India, across southeast Asia to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines
and Japan. These bees are very hygienic, renewing the wax in the honeycomb on a
continuous basis, and so are not impacted by varroa mites. Another species, the
giant honey bee Apis dorsata is found in southern and south east Asia.
But this species does not build its honeycombs in enclosed cavities (like
Apis mellifera), and so has never been domesticated. As you can see the
correct terminology is two words, so honey bee.
What is the most popular stick
insect? The Indian stick
insect (Carausius morosus) continues to be the most popular stick
insect. Here are some reasons why: Indian stick insects are easy to handle,
easy to breed, easy to feed (they eat bramble/blackberry) leaves, live
approximately one year, are harmless and have an endearing "party trick" of
clamping all their legs against the body and falling into a straight motionless
stick!
We've got aphids on the bramble in the ELC cage. Will they harm
the stick insects? And why are there aphids around when there are still frosts
at night? In the UK, there
are aphids around most of the year, indeed we have seen some on the bramble we
have collected to feed the stick insects at Small-Life Supplies. The aphids
don't harm the stick insects, but the sticky residue left by the aphids on the
walls of the ELC cage is unsightly and needs to be washed off (use dilute
bleach and tepid water). When you do your weekly change of bramble in your ELC
cage, place the old bramble sprigs outside on a bramble bush, so that the
aphids can move onto the fresh bramble leaves outside.
A pal gave me some "green
bean" stick insect eggs last summer and I've had them in the HAP ever since.
TBH I wasn't expecting them to hatch, but now five hatched during the night! My
neighbour has a massive eucalyptus tree and the leaves are different shapes,
some long and thin, some more rounded, a few have flecks on them (obviously I'd
reject those). Anyway, before I go round and beg for some, please tell me which
leaves would be best for my "green gang"? And are loose leaves OK?
Congratulations on your
baby stick insects, technically called "first instar nymphs". The "green bean"
stick insects are also known as the Grenadan stick insect (Diapherodes
gigantea) and are unusual because they prefer to eat Eucalyptus gunnii
leaves instead of bramble (blackberry) leaves. Egg incubation of this
species is typically nine months and so you are likely to have more hatching
soon! The best leaves for your baby Grenadan stick insects are the small young
tender eucalyptus leaves. I recommend putting in a small sprig of these, about
10cm long in the HAP pot. You can add another small sprig in a few days time.
Don't mist the leaves with water because this species prefers to eat eucalyptus
leaves which are not wet.
Do stick insects need a heat mat?
No, a heat mat is not necessary providing the room
is roughly 12 -14 degrees Celsius at night and 18 - 21 degrees Celsius during
the day. Those temperatures are typical of many homes in the UK. However, if
you live in a property that is very poorly insulated and regularly drops below
12 degrees Celsius at night, then a purchase of a 500 Watt oil-filled radiator
is recommended. Position this portable device near the ELC stick insect cage
and the gentle warmth emitted increases the ambient temperature without drying
out the foliage in the cage.
If I buy 4 Indian stick insects from
Small-Life Supplies, what is the likelihood of getting males and females? And
do they look very different?
Indian stick insects are parthenogenetic, which
means they are 99.99% female. They lay eggs which hatch into more females. The
males are extremely rare, only occuring 1 in every 10000, and such males look
completely different, being thinner, faster and always having a pale brown body
that is red underneath the thorax. When you by a pack of four Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) from Small-Life Supplies, you will receive
four young healthy adult females. Live arrival is guaranteed.
I saw that a few weeks
ago, you said that none of your Indian stick eggs from October had hatched.
Mine from October have still not hatched and Im wondering if they ever
will. Are any of yours starting to hatch now?
Yes, eggs from all the October 2024 batches of our
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are hatching now. And our
Indian stick insect eggs laid on 8th November 2024 have just started to hatch
too. Indian stick insects usually hatch approximately four months after being
laid. All the stick insect eggs at Small-Life Supplies are stored at a daytime
temperature of approximately 18 degrees Celsius and a nighttime temperature of
approximately 12 degrees Celsius, which are the same temperatures we keep the
stick insect nymphs and adults.
When a stick insect drops off one of its
legs, what is this called? This self-mutilation is called autotomy. It is an emergency response
that a stick insect can deploy to escape danger. The action of throwing off a
leg can startle a predator, allowing the stick insect vital time to escape.
Sometimes the discarded leg zig zags by itself across the floor! Fortunately a
stick insect nymph can regenerate a new little leg at its next skin-change
(ecdysis). In contrast, adult stick insects are fully grown and so no longer
undergo ecdysis, therefore they are unable to regenerate lost limbs. In
captivity, if stick insects are looked after well, leg loss should be rare.
Sometimes very old stick insects can lose legs in the last few days of their
life, but providing extra water for them to drink at this stage can help to
minimise this occurrence.
Does a stick insect enclosure need to have a mesh top?
No, definitely not! The
best stick insect cages have two mesh sides, this is where the stick insects
like to rest during the day and this design provides a through-draught of air
that the stick insects require. The best stick insect enclosure is the ELC
cage, which has two mesh sides and is 51cm high (20 inches).
I gave my stick insects
some rose leaves bought from the florist and now they look sick. I know I've
been foolish, I've thrown all the rose leaves away now and put in the usual
bramble, but is there anything else I can do? They are young stick insects,
only a few centimetres long. Oh dear, it's very risky to feed stick insects with leaves purchased
from florists (and also potted plants bought in supermarkets and garden
centres). This is because many of these commercially grown plants have been
treated with systemic pesticides, which means these chemicals stay inside the
leaves for twelve months and so can't be washed off. Insects that eat these
leaves will be poisoned and die, their nervous system is targeted so within
hours they lose co-ordination of their legs. You'll need to wait a few days to
see how many of your stick insects have eaten these treated rose leaves. The
ones that have eaten the leaves will be dead, but there is a chance that some
of your stick insects haven't eaten them. This is because when a stick insect
is preparing for a skin-change (ecdysis), the stick insect stops eating for a
few days. Such stick insects conserve their strength so as well as not eating,
they minimise walking around too, sometimes staying in the same place on the
mesh side of the ELC cage, high up on the side, which is the safest place for
them to shed their skin.
Have you seen the media coverage about the furore following the
1% Club TV quiz show last Saturday in which the answer was that an ant was an
animal, but some loud mouths on social media vehemently disagreed with this
fact? These same people even think that insects are not animals!
Yes, I am aware of this,
but at least some of these people do know that ants are insects! And let's hope
the publicity about this has finally got the message across that insects are
animals!
Gosh, after years of British Sugar plc applying for the
"emergency application for the use of a neonicotinoid pesticide on sugar beet
in England" and this being granted for the last five years, a big thumbs up to
Environment Minister Emma Hardy for saying no, not this year! We all need to
hear some good news and so do the the pollinating insects and the bees!
Yes, the dangers of using
Cruiser SB which contains the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam are well known, yet
it's use has been condoned via this farcical "emergency application" loophole
for the last five years. So thank goodness this practice has finally been
stopped by this new British government.
I have some Indian stick
insect eggs laid at various times. I cant remember exactly when the first
were laid, but I think it was some time in October. Do the eggs show signs of
being almost ready to hatch? Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) eggs usually take
approximately four months to hatch. None of our October 2024 batches of Indian
stick insect eggs have started hatching yet, but should be soon. Stick insect
eggs do not alter in appearance during their incubation, and so you cannot tell
whether hatching is imminent just by a visual inspection.
Are stick insects and leaf
insects the same thing? So, for example, is an Australian Macleays Spectre both
a stick insect and a leaf insect? It's legs sure look like leaves and the body
colour is more like a leaf than a stick.
No, stick insects are different from leaf insects
and so one insect can't be both. However, they do share some physical
characteristics which is why in the official biological classification system,
stick insects and leaf insects are both classified as belonging to the order
Phasmida. The easy way to determine if an insect is a stick insect or a leaf
insect is by looking at the thickness of the abdomen. Leaf insects always have
very thin abdomens, these almost look flat, like a sheet of paper. In contrast,
stick insects have bulky thick abdomens (especially the adult females when
these are full of eggs). In your example of the Australian Macleays Spectre
(Extatosoma tiaratum), these are definitely stick insects because they
have bulky bodies. The leafy-looking legs and body colour are to help with
their camouflage of blending in with the surroundings and looking like a leaf.
I work at
a primary school and we need a new cage for our class stick insects. The
students have raised £55 from fundraisers. Your ELC cages look excellent
and so my cheeky request is do you offer any school
discounts? It is great that
you are keeping stick insects at the primary school because this encourages
more children to become interested in insects and nature. If you purchase the
ELC cage via the school, you can reclaim the 20% VAT off the purchase price.
Or, you can save even more by purchasing a lightly used ELC cage from our
"clearance page". Any cages listed on that page are in very good condition,
have been cleaned, and are dispatched in the same strong bespoke packaging that
we use to deliver the new ELC cages, so you can rest assured that your ELC cage
will arrive assembled and undamaged.
Is it normal for Indian
stick insect eggs to have a black lid instead of yellow? The stick that laid it
matured after 5 moults instead of 6, and its sibling just died from the same
premature adulthood condition at 7 months. Im concerned about the egg
quality. My only other remaining stick has had all 6 moults but was stunted and
tiny until it had its final moult, so I dont know how that would affect
its eggs. Im just concerned because I have no genetically
normal sticks and dont know the best way to continue their
lineage. The issues you
highlight are not common amongst healthy stock. So I suggest you start again
with Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) from a healthy strain. You
can purchase four healthy adult Indian stick insects from Small-Life Supplies.
Or, another option is to purchase the Indian stick insect eggs from Small-Life
Supplies. Our eggs are supplied in packs of eight and are delivered just a few
weeks before they are due to hatch (so you don't have to wait the full four
months of their incubation).
I'm so glad I've found Small-Life Supplies,
an ethical business that truly cares about the insects. I have stick insects
and would like to expand into silkmoths but I don't know how easy it is to grow
mulberry bushes in the UK? Yes, Small-Life Supplies always prioritises the welfare of the
insects which is one reason why the business has been going for 40 years! Live
arrival is guaranteed and the insects are nice and healthy, being captive-bred
at Small-Life Supplies. The caterpillars of Chinese silkmoths (Bombyx
mori) eat mulberry leaves. But the caterpillars of giant Indian Eri
silkmoths (Samia ricini) eat privet leaves. Small-Life Supplies breeds
the Indian Eri silkmoths. Our caterpillars (also called silkworms) should be
ready to purchase in a few weeks time (the adult silkmoths are laying eggs at
the moment). Fresh Cut Privet can be delivered too, or you may prefer to source
your own privet if you have access to a large green privet hedge nearby.
I think
we already found some Indian stick insect eggs, see photo attached? How many
eggs at the same time can be in the HAP ? I understand we do nothing with eggs
until hatching ? Congratulations, your photo shows six Indian stick insect eggs
(Carausius morosus). For best results, put these in the HAP and add a label
with the date the eggs were laid. This date label helps you estimate when the
eggs are due to hatch (this will be in approximately four months time). The HAP
can hold up to one hundred eggs, but most people prefer to save about thirty
eggs. This is because the hatching success rate of Indian stick insect eggs is
high, and it's important not to hatch out more stick insects than you can cope
with. The ELC cage can comfortably house approximately twenty adult Indian
stick insects. And yes, you are correct, it is best to just leave the eggs
alone in the HAP, they require no attention at all during their incubation. The
HAP is best positioned on a shelf away from direct sunshine (so that it doesn't
get too hot inside). The HAP is clear and so you'll easily be able to see the
brown baby Indian stick insects when they hatch. It's a good idea to check in
the morning because Indian stick insect eggs usually hatch during the night.
Is the
URV cage suitable for storing stick insect eggs?
No. The URV cage has a ventilated lid and so is
too airy to store stick insect eggs sucessfully. Stick insect eggs should be
stored in a non-ventilated container, that is why the HAP is ideal.
My
lecturer was explaining about population dynamics in insect populations, which
I totally get, and find interesting. But she also said sometimes a healthy
insect population can be wiped out because eggs stop hatching. Please can you
let me know if you have evidence of this, either anectodal or direct
experience? No, but years
ago, Small-Life Supplies used to breed the Javanese stick insect (Orxines
macklottii) commercially to sell. This is a very attractive stick insect,
unusual because it eats rhododendron leaves, but really pretty with nice
markings and orange wings. Anyway, one year all the eggs hatched into males!
And so that population died out completely, not because the eggs stopped
hatching but because no eggs were laid (because all the adults were males).
Recently, several customers have commented that their Indian stick insects
(Carausius morosus) are not laying as many eggs as usual. However, this
is most likely due to the gloomier light conditions that we are experiencing in
the UK at the moment because it is winter, and also the quality of the bramble
(blackberry) leaves is not as good now as it is during the summer months. Both
these factors adversely affect the number of eggs produced by the females.
We are
thrilled to see our Indian Eri silkmoths with their big wings! All five have
emerged in the last couple of days, four are perfect, but one (whom my daughter
has named Mrs Crinkly) has wings that are crumpled at the ends. I'm guessing
she won't be able to fly? Is there any reason why she's like this?
Indian Eri silkmoths
(Samia ricini) are most impressive silkmoths with their huge wings and
furry bodies. After they have emerged from their silk cocoons, they rest for a
day or two to allow time for their wings to unfurl and stiffen up. It's really
important that there is plenty of space underneath so that there is room for
the wings to expand unhindered by any objects. However, even when there is
empty space underneath, sometimes the silkmoth does not unfurl its wings
properly and so the wings harden in a crumpled state. Such insects cannot fly
properly but are still keen to mate and, if female, lay eggs. However, it's
best not to save the eggs from such afflicted individuals, and instead save the
eggs from your perfect specimens because they are naturally stronger and
healthier. Here, at Small-Life Supplies, we always save the eggs from the
strongest flyers too, because it is nice to see a giant Indian Eri silkmoth
flying around a room several times!
My 6 month old Indian stick insect had its
final moult 10 weeks ago and still hasnt hardened up or developed its
adult shape. Ive been noticing dark green spots appearing on its back. Is
this normal? My others are fully mature.
I can see from the photos you've sent that this
adult female Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) appears to have a
thinner exoskeleton than normal. This is why she looks translucent and you can
see the spots underneath. This is another example of a genetic issue, so in
other words, a condition she has been born with rather than resulting from
external environmental factors. Her exoskeleton will be more delicate because
it is so thin, so she is at increased risk of cutting herself on a sharp
bramble thorn. However, that risk is minimal because it usually only happens if
a stick insect falls and slices itself on a bramble thorn as it falls. So she
should be OK but probably won't live quite as long as your other adult Indian
stick insects.
We've just got back from collecting bramble in the snow! There
is frost all over the leaves, what do I do next?
Just insert the bramble into the Sprig Pit of cold
tap water, as usual. Depending on the thickness of the stems, you can push in
two or three sprigs of bramble through the central hole in the red lid of the
Sprig Pot. But because your bramble is frosty, it is important to delay putting
this food into the ELC cage until is has defrosted. So leave the Sprig Pot of
bramble in a sink for a few hours, to allow the bramble to thaw out. When the
leaves look normal again, you can put it in the ELC cage.
What is the best
substrate to use for stick insects that drill down to bury their eggs? I've
heard that mites can occur in soil and vermiculite can be messy?
Most species of stick
insect drop their eggs onto the Liner in the ELC cage and it is easy to sort
and collect these eggs using the tip of a fine artist's paintbrush. There are a
few species of stick insect which have an ovipositor shaped a bit like a
trowel, because it is designed to dig a small hole, push out an egg, and then
cover the egg up again. Here at Small-Life Supplies, we always use a pot of
sterilised dry sand for this purpose. This works well and at the end of every
week, the dry sand is passed through a metal sieve, to collect the eggs. The
sieved sand is replace in the Sand Pit and put back in the same place on the
ELC cage Liner. This is because the female adults learn where to lay their eggs
and go to the place where the Sand Pit should be when they are ready to bury
some eggs. Stick insect species that bury their eggs in the Sand Pit include:
New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) and Malaysian
(Heteropteryx dilatata). Sand Pits (including the pot and the sterilised
sand) are available to purchase from Small-Life Supplies.
At nursery school, we are
expanding our nature table. We already have two ELC cages of stick insects
(they are a great success) and one of the parents has offered us a couple of
Giant African Land Snails that she has bred. We are really tempted by these but
are concerned because the parent said the downside to keeping these snails is
the little flies that emerge from the wet soil! Do you have any expertise in
this area? Small-Life
Supplies breed Giant African Land Snails (Achatina fulica) and they are
entertaining and easy pets that do well in an active environment, such as a
nursery school. This is because these snails are most active when they are warm
and there is lots going on that they can watch. The snail cage needs to be more
humid than a stick insect cage, which is why we manufacture a proper snail cage
called the HLQ cage. To keep the surroundings moist, use HLQ Liners, these are
made from thick grey material which you soak under a running tap of cold tap
water and then put the sopping wet HLQ Liner on the floor of the HLQ cage.
Unlike wet soil which is a breeding ground for small flies, the HLQ Liners do
not have this issue and so are the ideal hygienic way to look after your Giant
African Land Snails both at home and at school.
Do you need to spray Indian
stick insect eggs or put them on soil or anything like
that? No, just place your
Indian stick insect eggs (Carausius morosus) in the HAP and wait.
Hatching is usually after four months, this can be reduced to three months if
the room is hot (during the summer months). Don't put Indian stick insect eggs
on soil or spray them with water because this is not necessary and can harm
them.
Do
Indian stick insects have eyes? If so how many?
Yes, an Indian stick insect (Carausius
morosus) has two compound eyes, either side of the head. They are called
compound eyes because they consist of hundreds of hexagonal lenses. All of
these contribute to produce a picture of the surroundings. Stick insects see
objects clearly and in colour.
I was just wondering what else would
Thailand stick insects eat as it is winter all the bramble is dying out.
Thailand stick insects
(Baculum thaii) need to eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. Nice green bramble
leaves can be found all year round in the UK if you look in the right overgrown
wild places such as: disused railway lines, canal embankments, wooded areas and
sheltered brownfield sites (often earmarked for future housing). So although
your current source of bramble is dying off, there will be other bramble bushes
around that still have plenty of green leaves. If you get stuck, fresh cut
bramble is available from Small-Life Supplies all year round and delivered to
your door by express courier.
I'm so happy because we now have some eggs
laid by Poppy, our largest Indian stick insect! I'm reading conflicting info
on-line about how best to care for them, please tell us what do you recommend?
Congratulations! Indian
stick insect eggs (Carausius morosus) are very easy to hatch if you do
the following. Just place the eggs in the HAP (which is a round clear plastic
unventilated container) and wait. Approximately four months later the babies,
called "first instar nymphs" emerge, usually hatching during the night. Don't
be tempted to put the eggs on kitchen roll because this can make them too dry
and don't spray the eggs with water because this can make them go mouldy.
We'd love
some Pink Winged stick insects, can we add these to our collection of Indian
stick insects, currently thriving in the ELC cage? And can Small-Life Supplies
send us some nice bramble? Ours is looking a bit ropey.
Yes, Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus)
and Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) mix well together
in the same ELC cage. Pink Winged stick insects are supplied in packs of two
and so there is room in the cage for up to fourteen Indian stick insects and
two Pink Winged stick insects. Our stocks of bramble are lush and so yes, there
is no problem sending out fresh cut bramble with nice green leaves, more
details are on the website page listing the different stick insects in
stock.
Wow, adult New Guinea stick insects can be so different in
size. Does size of the cage affect the growth like size of fishtank affects
species growth? New Guinea
stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) are unusual because they can vary
so much in overall size as adults. This means that even those reared in the
same ELC cage can develop into a mixture of small adults and massive adults!
This huge size variation is not seen with most other species of stick insect.
So no, if you house the New Guinea stick insects in a cage larger than the ELC
cage you will not get larger adults.
What's the best way to clean the ELC cage?
I've got the Cleaning Sponge but not sure which detergent I should
use? Put dilute bleach and
tepid tap water on the Cleaning Sponge and rub firmly to remove any marks on
the clear plastic panels and also the thick white mesh walls of the ELC cage.
Rinse thoroughly with cold tap water and gently dry the ELC cage with a soft
cotton tea towel. If you repeat this procedure every couple of months or so,
your ELC cage will remain looking nice and clear for many years! And remember
to use washing up gloves to protect your hands against the bleach.
At a
recent conference I was talking to a researcher of the UK "The Angle Shades"
moth. I have this distinctive moth breeding in my garden, the caterpillars
eating the dock leaves. But why does it have the word "The" as part of its
common name? Other common noctuid moths such as Large Yellow Underwing
(Noctua pronuba) and Grey Dagger (Apatele psi) don't? The
specialist researcher didn't know, so is it just one of those things?
Most British moths are
assigned common names which do not have the word "The" in front of them. But
there are a minority of moths which do. There are a few examples in the
Noctuidae family (which has approximately 400 species in the UK). Examples of
these include: The Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa), The Flame
(Axylia putris), The Gothic (Naenia typica), The Campion (Hadena
rivularis), The Clay (Leucania lythargyria), The Shark (Cucullia
umbratica), The Mullein (Cucullia verbasci), The Satellite
(Eupsilia transversa), The Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix). As for
the reason why, I suspect there isn't a logical reason, but instead it is, as
you say, just how it has happened.
Is it normal for a 9 month old Indian stick
insect to begin showing signs of age (e.g excessive thirst, weakening grip)?
She has been in perfect health her whole life so I didnt think shed
start this early. My previous stick started showing signs later than this and
had health issues since being a nymph.
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus)
live approximately 12 months. This means that most live that long, but some
individuals have longer lifespans and others shorter lifespans. As well as the
health of the stick insect being a factor in her life expectancy, so is her
activity. The most active stick insects (which are often nice healthy ones)
have shorter lifespans than their less active sisters.
I need safe stick insects
around my daughter (aged 13), I've heard some spray a dangerous chemical?
Please tell me which type would be best and safe. I live in Peterborough and
hoping I haven't left it too late to get stick insects for Christmas?
Small-Life Supplies only
breed and sell safe harmless stick insects. The best type for your daughter to
start with is the Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus), these are
safe to handle, do not spray, and eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. You can
house up to twenty adult Indian stick insects in the ELC cage and Small-Life
Supplies sells them in packs of four adults (they like company, and so are sold
in packs of four rather than individually). And yes, local deliveries in the
Peterborough area are happening next week, so there is still time to receive
everything before Christmas. A few species of stick insect emit dangerous
chemicals which can harm people (and pet cats, dogs etc). The chemical spray
from a Florida stick insect (Anisomorpha buprestoides) can cause
temporary blindness if it lands on your eyeball, and the chemical spray from a
Black Beauty Peruvian stick insect (Peruphasma schultei) can cause nasal
and throat irritation to sensitive children, teenagers and adults.
I
purchased the ELC cage from you and my son and I went to the pet shop to choose
our Indian stick insects, but the guy there said we needed a humidity gauge,
lights, a heat mat, and vermiculite substrate! Honestly, I think he was taking
us for fools. He even had the cheek to recommend a small plastic tank as
housing! I told him about the ELC cage, thanks to your informative website I
felt I knew more about the care of stick insects than him!
Yes, it is depressing when
some places try and sell you as much as possible, just to increase their
earnings. One of the big advantages of keeping stick insects is that their
equipment requirement is minimal. Sure, they need the proper ELC stick insect
cage, ideally with the disposable cage Liners, Sprig Pot of water (for keeping
the bramble fresh), and a Mister to spray the bramble leaves with cold tap
water so that the stick insects can drink. But a humidity gauge is not needed,
and lights and vermiculite substrate are best avoided. Also, a heat mat is not
recommended because it is not necessary and can cause harm by drying up the
foliage and surroundings.
What's the latest update on that endangered stick insect in
Lord Howe Island? The
eradication of rats on Lord Howe Island has been reported as being a huge
success in helping to protect this species of stick insect. Captive rearing is
underway at Melbourne Zoo in Australia and also at the Nursery on Lord Howe
Island. This is an impressive chunky stick insect, superficially similar to the
New Guinea stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata), but more glossy and
classified with species name Dryococelus australis. It's native habitat
is on Ball's Pyramid, which is 770km from the East Coast of Australia (off
Sydney).
How big should a stick insect cage be?
The size recommended would be 51cm x 36cm x 27cm.
The 51cm height is very important because stick insects need a tall cage so
that they have space to grow properly. Stick insects housed in squat tanks are
too cramped and are likely to have stunted growth, or even worse, deformed
bodies that are bent (instead of the being straight). The ELC cage is 51cm tall
and is the correct size for many popular stick insects including the Indian
stick insects, Pink Winged stick insects, Thailand stick insects, New Guinea
stick insects and many other species.
I read somewhere that ivy
can be given to Indian stick insects, is that correct? If so, what type of ivy
is the best to use? We live in Gloucestershire and have an old churchyard
nearby which is full of ivy and brambles.
Ivy should really only be used as a last resort to
feed Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). This is because these
stick insects usually do much better on a diet of fresh bramble (blackberry)
leaves. So it's great that your churchyard has stocks of bramble. However, if
you are purchasing Indian stick insects that have been exclusively eating ivy
leaves for many months, you could continue feeding them with ivy, gathered from
the churchyard. Don't be tempted to buy a potted ivy plant because this is
likely to have been treated with pesticides and these will kill any insect that
eats the leaves. The pesticides are within the stems and veins of the plant and
so cannot be washed off.
The egg is still attached to my stick insect, can I try and
remove it? Where is it
attached? If the empty eggshell is attached to a leg, it is best left alone,
because if you attempt to remove it, you are likely to damage the leg or cause
the stick insect to panic and throw it's leg off. When the stick insect
completes it's first skin-change (ecdysis) in a few weeks time, the eggshell
will be discarded, together with the rest of the old skin. However, if the
eggshell is attached to the end of the body (abdomen) this is serious because
it is blocking the faecal exit hole, and so needs to be removed. So gently hold
the eggshell between you thumb and forefinger and you will feel the force of
the stick insect pulling away. Usually this works and you are left with the
complete empty eggshell, including the soft white inner liner. Occasionally it
does not work and the stick insect walks away with the white inner liner still
covering the faecal exit hole, and you are left with just the outer eggshell
between your fingertips.
Bea has stuck an egg onto Leah's leg! Will it hatch? Should I
leave it or try to remove it? Bea and Leah are my Pink Winged stick insects, I
have been looking after them since my birthday last
August. Adult Pink Winged
stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) glue their eggs onto rough surfaces.
Their favourite places are usually in the holes in the mesh sides of the ELC
cage, under the bramble leaves, or on top of the cage Liner. Occasionally one
Pink Winged stick insect will glue an egg onto another Pink Winged stick
insect's body, usually selecting a leg as a suitable site, as Bea has done with
Leah. I've seen this happen a few times and always left the egg alone, because
it does not appear to be inconveniencing the recipient. So I suggest you do the
same and look forward to seeing one of Bea's offspring hatching out of this egg
in three months time.
I just noticed one of my adult Indian sticks has frass that is
stringy. What does this mean? It just started exhibiting this after I noticed
one of my younger Indian sticks had a fungal infection. The adult Indian
doesnt seem to show any signs of a fungal infection on its body.
Healthy Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) should not be producing stringy frass (poo),
but instead should be excreting separate solid droppings that are dry and fall
onto the Liner. So you are right to be concerned. Fungal infections in stick
insects can occur if the surroundings are too damp with stagnant air, and so
perhaps you are over-spraying their leaves with water? Or perhaps the housing
isn't optimal, remember Indian stick insects do best in a cage with two full
mesh sides that provide good natural ventilation, so the ELC cage is ideal.
Also, perhaps the bramble (blackberry) leaves are poor quality, at this time of
year it's important to locate green bramble leaves that are relatively thick
and avoid the really thin green bramble leaves (because these thin leaves are
not nutritious). So I'd recommend you look at the above factors to determine
how best to resolve the issue.
This photo is of two Indian stick insects,
these two hatched on the same day at the end of July and have both had five
moults. One is much smaller and thinner than the other - could it be a male? It
has slight pink marks on the armpits and sometimes runs much faster than the
others - I cant tell if its a rare male or a stunted female.
Thank you for the photo,
these are both female Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). The
really rare males that only occur in 0.01% of the population, are much thinner
and are a tan colour. Their antennae are longer than the female's antennae and
the underside of the thorax is red. You are correct in thinking that the males
are hyper-active, there is a short Small-Life Supplies YouTube video showing a
rare male Indian stick insect running around, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT4lgwQCo6c
We are stick insect newbies and like the
look of the Jungle Nymphs - would these be a great starter
species? Best not! The
Jungle Nymphs or Malaysian stick insects (Heteropteryx dilatata) are
suitable for the experienced stick insect keeper, not a beginner. This is
because they need to be handled correctly to avoid being aggressive, and they
have very long lifespans (typically three years) so are suited to people who
have a long-term commitment and interest in keeping stick insects. Another
spectacular looking species that is much easier but is a similar shape to
Malaysian stick insects, is the New Guinea stick insect (Eurycantha
calcarata), and so those would be much better type for you to look after
and enjoy.
When I was a girl (many moons ago), we fed our stick insects
(Indian ones) with privet from our large privet hedge. Now my grandson has the
bug but I notice that you don't recommend privet for Indian stick insects, may
I ask why? I'd like to get him an Indian stick insect kit for Christmas.
Decades ago, most people in
the UK fed their Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) with privet
leaves, gathered from privet hedges. Then a strange thing happened about thirty
years ago, whereby many pet Indian stick insects suddenly refused to eat privet
leaves and so, en masse, people switched over to an alternative foodplant,
bramble (blackberry) leaves. This also happened to the breeding stocks at
Small-Life Supplies and our Indian stick insects have been fed on bramble
(blackberry) leaves ever since. You can supplement their diet with hazel and
rose leaves, but we have found that Indian stick insects still do best if their
main diet is bramble (blackberry) leaves. Of course there are still some Indian
stick insects that will eat privet, but we no longer list it as a suitable
foodplant because they much prefer to eat bramble (blackberry) leaves.
Fortunately with all the rain we have had in recent months there is lots of
good quality bramble (blackberry) leaves growing wild in the UK and so your
grandson should be able to find plenty (he needs to look in overgrown areas,
such as disused railway lines and woods).
I'm getting the URV cage
with the young New Guinea stick insects as a Christmas gift to myself. Money is
really tight, but I'm hoping to get enough Christmas money to buy the ELC cage
in January. My question is - will the New Guinea stick insects be OK in the URV
cage until January? Yes,
that will be OK. When the New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha
calcarata) are young nymphs they need restricted air-flow and so do best in
the URV cage. However, as they grow they need more ventilation and more space,
so will need to be transferred to the ELC cage. The New Guinea stick insect
nymphs being dispatched with the URV within the next couple of weeks will be
ready to go into the ELC cage in early February 2025, which fits into your time
frame nicely.
My daughter is obsessed with stick insects. She has asked for
one. She is very gentle, I'm looking for advice really on where to start, for
beginners. Is there a complete beginners bundle, with everything I'd need to
get her started with the easiest for her to look after to begin with? She'll
definitely want to hatch some of her own!
It's great that your daughter likes stick insects
and wants her own to care for. Stick insects like company of their own kind and
so are best kept in small groups. The Indian stick insect (Carausius
morosus) is the best type to start with and these ones eat
bramble/blackberry leaves (which you gather from outside or you can purchase
fresh cut bramble/blackberry sprigs of leaves from Small-Life Supplies). For a
"complete beginners bundle" I recommend the Christmas
Special which is a bundle including everything you need to keep and breed
Indian stick insects, including the actual stick insects.
We had researched
suitable foods for our Indian stick insects online and Camellia and Maple
leaves came up for Indian stick insects, so that's what they've been eating.
But the stick insects have all gone floppy and died, we've only had them for
one month? This is a sad
example of following really bad advice given on-line, posted by either an
ignorant or malicious source. And yes, there really are some twisted
individuals who think it's funny to post "advice" that will kill stick insects.
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) can eat hazel leaves but their
main diet should be eating leaves classified as belonging to the Rosaceae
family, so in practical terms that means bramble/blackberry leaves and rose
leaves. Those leaves are what we feed our Indian stick insects and tell others
to use, this is stated on this website and the care leaflet included with all
stick insects supplied by Small-Life Supplies. Unfortunately neither of the
leaves you gave to your stick insects are classified as being from plants
belonging to the Rosaceae family and both are unsuitable long-term, so your
stick insects have effectively starved to death.
My Indian stick insects
have a family history of maturing after 5 moults and becoming stunted adults.
Another one had its fifth moult a few days ago and I cant tell whether
this one is developing normally or whether it is stunted. It is not laying eggs
but it has red armpits (they were pink after the previous moult) and a dark
mark on the underside. Does it look like a nymph or a stunted adult? Also, does
stunting affect their lifespan?
Looking at your photos, I think she is fully
grown. The total length that an Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus)
grows to is 11cm on average, this size is affected by genetic and
environmental factors. If you house your stick insects in the ELC cage, they
have the best opportunity to grow to their full size because the ELC cage is
51cm high and so allows the stick insects lots of space to grow properly and
achieve their full potential. In the breeding stocks of Indian stick insects at
Small-Life Supplies, it has been observed that the smaller females can live
slightly longer than their larger sisters.
We have two baby stick insects in our HAP
and they seem to be doing really well. (See picture attached). They have now
reached a length of a little over 3.5cm and we realise it may be time to
transfer them to the ELC cage. However, my son is concerned that they are
so small they will be able to get through the holes in the side of the ELC.
He's also a little apprehensive about handling (and in turn hurting) the
babies. He's totally fine with handling larger stick
insects. Thanks for
emailing the photo of your Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) in
the HAP. As Indian stick insects grow, they require more ventilation, and
because yours are now 3.5cm long, they are ready to be transferred to the ELC
cage where they will have lots of space to grow properly into nice healthy
adults. One way to move them is to gently blow on them and encourage them to
walk on your hand. Or, it might be easier for you to put the HAP inside the ELC
cage (with the HAP lid off) and let them walk out (position the HAP next to a
white mesh side in the ELC cage). In the coming weeks and months, never squeeze
the bodies of the young Indian stick insects because this can harm them.
Instead, be patient and try blowing on them gently to encourage them to walk
onto your hand. Please reassure your son that there is no risk of them climbing
out of the holes in the ELC cage. They are too large to do this and have no
desire to even try.
I'm labelling a technical illustration of a
stick insect's foot. Please can you are tell me the correct technical term for
the two "claws" and the "pad" inbetween them?
The correct scientific word for the two claws is
still claws. But the correct scientific word for the pad inbetween them is
"arolium".
I believe this Indian stick insect is a sixth instar nymph
(adult on the left for comparison). She hasnt moulted in 4 weeks now, and
today I found an egg under her where I know the adult hadnt been, as I
had just cleaned the enclosure. From this picture, does she look like an adult
or a sixth instar nymph? She is definitely an adult. She now has the classic appearance of an
adult and is laying eggs, which only adults can do. She is not as long as the
other adult, so is a stunted adult, but still looks OK. Almost all Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) shed their skins six times, but if you've
recorded this one as only shedding her skin five times, this would explain why
she is not as large as the other Indian stick insect
adults.
I
need to upgrade my stick insect enclosure and the ELC insect cage looks
perfect. I have a pair of Thailand stick insects, Bonnie and Clyde. I'd like to
add two of your New Thailand stick insects, so I am just checking that (a)
there would be enough space and (b) I will be able to differentiate the new
ones (as yet to be named!) and (c) the total shipping is £9.96 (to
Abingdon)? Yes, the ELC cage
is ideal for two Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii) and two New
Thailand stick insects (Baculum sp). They both eat bramble
(blackberry) leaves and live together happily. The New Thailand stick insects
are parthenogenetic (99.99% female) and at a quick glance they look similar to
the female Thailand stick insect. However, there are three anatomical
differences which are easy to spot. Firstly, her head is smooth on top and so
does not have the two "earlike" growths seen on the head of the Thailand
female. Secondly, she has an orange band on her abdomen, near the tip, and a
corresponding little spur underneath. These are absent on the Thailand female.
Thirdly, with the the option of growing up to 22cm long, she is usually longer
than the adult female Thailand stick insect, typically 18cm long. And yes,
total delivery to Abingdon, UK is £9.96.
I was wondering what kind
of night bulbs to use to help keep the heat. I have a small 25 and a 35 watt
ones. I was wondering since walking stick bugs are nocturnal what type of bulb
to use. I am at the University of Southern Indiana, USA.
Stick insects should be kept at a minimum
temperature of 12 -14 degrees Celsius at night, this is 54 -57 degrees
Farenheit. So initially, I recommend you measure the night time temperature so
you can determine how cold it gets in the room housing the stick insects. If
additional night time heating is required, the best solution is to use a
portable oil-filled radiator. The 500 Watt version is best, just position this
outside the cage, about 30cm or 12 inches away from the cage, and set it on a
timer to switch on at night. This equipment emits a gentle warmth, with no
light, so is ideal for the stick insects, which as you correctly state are
nocturnal. If you must use a light, then a red bulb is best, at low wattage.
However, please note that there is an increased fire risk using a light bulb
and it can also dry out the surroundings, leading to problems with skin-changes
and premature crisping up of the foliage.
Help please, we'd like to
create a silkworm mini-farm at school (primary), but am reading conflicting
advice on-line. One supplier says they must be kept at 25º- 28ºC
which is hotter than our classroom! And refrigerate the eggs? But Small-Life
Supplies is saying they're easy to rear and all lifecycle stages do well at
normal room temperature? The
confusion arises because there are two main species of silkmoth commercially
available, each requiring different rearing conditions. The ones you have seen
from the other supplier are the Chinese domestic silkmoth (Bombyx mori),
these are more challenging to keep because they move less, are temperature
sensitive, and harder to feed (eating mulberry leaves or artificial food). The
other main species of giant silkmoth which Small-Life Supplies rears and sells
to British schools and the general public, is the Indian Eri Silkmoth (Samia
ricini). These are really easy to keep and breed, requiring a daytime
temperature of 18 -21 degrees Celsius and a minimum nightime temperature of
approximately 12 degrees Celsius. Those temperatures apply to all the stages,
so the eggs, larvae / caterpillars / silkworms and the adult silkmoths. And the
Indian Eri silkworms are really easy to feed because they eat privet leaves.
Privet is evergreen and can be snipped from privet hedges or you can purchase
fresh cut privet from Small-Life Supplies. The Indian Eri silkworms grow large
(to 7cm long) and so do best in the ELC insect cage, you can enjoy watching
them eating, climbing around and then spinning their silk cocoons on the sides
of the cage.
My six year old would like stick insects for Christmas. Is it
too soon to order these from you? And can delivery be just before
Christmas? Stick insects are
a great Christmas gift and you can pre-order now from Small-Life Supplies. The
ELC cage is supplied ready built and so it's easy to hide the stick insects in
there until Christmas Day. You can request delivery of everything in December
and we'll let you know the day and approximate time of the delivery. Or,
another option is to request "Split Christmas Delivery", whereby you ask for
delivery of the ELC cage and accessories in December, and postpone the delivery
of the actual stick insects until January (when your home is calmer after the
festivities). The second delivery charge on the "Split Christmas Delivery"
option is free.
My Indian stick insect is reaching the end of her life. She is
almost completely unresponsive and is passing away due to old age. I dont
want to bury her too soon, so how can I know for sure when she has passed?
Your Indian stick insect
(Carausius morosus) is dying from old age. It's best to wait another 24
hours after she is completely unresponsive before burying her, just to be
completely sure that she has died.
I put green leaves of bramble into the Sprig
Pot last week and some of the leaves have become yellow. What's weird is that
Elowen (my New Guinea stick insect) has eaten a chunk out of a yellow leaf,
despite there being plenty of green leaves present? I'm due to get more bramble
leaves today, I'm wondering if I should pick some yellow leaves on
purpose? Green bramble
(blackberry) leaves are more nutritious than yellow bramble leaves and so no,
don't gather yellow leaves, but instead continue to gather green leaves. At
this time of year (autumn) some bramble leaves turn yellow and then drop off,
but there are still plenty of green bramble leaves to be found in sheltered
areas outside. Occasionally a stick insect fancies a change and so will gnaw at
a bramble stem, or nibble a cage Liner, or eat a yellow leaf. But this
behaviour is only transitory and they soon go back to eating nutritious green
bramble leaves. New Guinea stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata) drink
more water than other types of stick insect, and so it's important that Elowen
always has access to a shallow dish of cold tap water in her ELC stick insect
cage.
We've
been enjoying caring for four Indian stick insects since last year and would
like to try keeping another sort. We already have the ELC cage and we would
like to ask your advice on what type to get next and check that they will
happily co-habit with our elderly Indian ladies? Our stick insects are
collectively looked after by Tilly (aged ten) and Rosie (aged eight) and me
(their mum)! We have lots of bramble growing in the fields behind our house, so
would prefer to have stick insects that eat these leaves.
It's great that your Indian stick insects
(Carausius morosus) are a success and that you are collectively ready to
move onto to expanding your collection. I'd recommend keeping Pink Winged stick
insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) next because these live happily in the same
ELC cage as Indian stick insects, look completely different, and eat bramble
(blackberry) leaves. Small-Life Supplies supply Pink Winged stick insects in
packs of two nymphs, so when you receive them they are not fully grown and so
don't have their wings yet. However, a couple of months later they will be
fully grown and will have nice large pretty pink wings. Your daughters can
enjoy taking them out of the ELC cage and watching them fly across the room,
their flight is slow and controlled, so there are no issues about it being a
stressful experience! A weekly flight is recommended. Or, another option is to
choose the Thailand stick insects (Baculum thaii), these are supplied in
packs of four (two pairs) and they too will happily live in the same ELC cage
as Indian stick insects and also eat bramble (blackberry) leaves. Thailand
stick insects are longer and thinner than Indian stick insects and are quite
active (especially the adult males), so they are entertaining pets too.
This
Indian stick insect (with one antenna) is 15 weeks old and I thought she had 5
moults so far. However she looks similar in size to the adult. Can you tell
from these photos whether she is an adult or a subadult?
Thank you for emailing the photo of these two
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus). The one pictured on the right
is an adult female, with two complete antennae, and is looking nice and
healthy. The other one looks like she has one more skin-change (ecdysis) to
complete before becoming an adult. This is because as well as being shorter
than the other one, her abdomen is a different shape too. It is confusing
because they both have red tops to their front legs. However this red
colouration can sometimes appear in fifth instar nymphs as well as always being
present in adults (equivalent to sixth instar nymphs). When this happens, the
red colour is vivid in the adults, but usually paler in the fifth instar
nymphs. It is odd that the red colouration in your smaller stick insect doesn't
look pale, so another possibility is that she is a stunted adult. Either way,
the answer will become obvious in a couple of weeks time because she will
either shed her skin again or start laying eggs.
Do you have any views on
eating insects? I visited a tourist bug place and couldn't understand why
people in their cafe were giggling whilst eating snacks containing
insects? I have always been
against killing anything for fun or entertainment. So I am against the selling
of the snacks you describe in these places, just for amusement value. Also, I
find it weird that somewhere promoting living insects as pets in one room, is
selling cooked insects as novelty food in the next room. If you went to a cat
or dog place, you wouldn't dream of eating cat or dog burgers there.
I've
recently been given some Indian stick insects. They are really interesting. I'm
feeding them on bramble. But thinking ahead, I was wondering what to feed them
in the winter? Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) do best on bramble (blackberry) leaves, and
fortunately in the UK these leaves can be found all year round in overgrown
places outside. Bramble in exposed areas will lose its leaves in the winter,
but bramble growing in sheltered areas keeps most of its leaves and so you can
still find green bramble leaves all year round. To conserve your winter stocks
of bramble, it's a good idea to feed Indian stick insects with additional
leaves, for example hazel leaves and wild rose leaves during the summer months.
Do Indian
stick insects ever stop laying eggs? One of mine hatched late September 2023
and I'm suddenly seeing less eggs than before (I have another, younger adult).
The older one seems to find surfaces such as leaves and hands slippery, is that
normal? Egg-laying begins
approximately two weeks after an Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus)
has completed her final skin-change (ecdysis). She continues to lay three eggs
every day, on average, for the next seven months. This rate of egg production
only slows down in the final weeks of her life. So, when choosing which eggs to
save, it's best to save the ones that are being laid when she is at her peak,
so dispose of the early eggs and the eggs laid late on in her life because
these won't be as good quality as the eggs being produced in her prime. Indian
stick insects usually live for one year and when they are old, they lose the
grip in their feet, so yes, it is normal that your older stick insect is
behaving this way.
I've read about freezing stick insect eggs to humanely kill
them, is this correct? My wife is having IVF and the cold doesn't kill the
eggs. Your doubts are
justified. Putting stick insect eggs into a freezer simply arrests their
development, and when the eggs are taken out of the freezer and warm up,
development begins again. The best ecological method is to feed surplus stick
insect eggs to birds and fish. Or, if this is not possible, surplus eggs can be
dropped into a fire or into a dish of hot water, both these methods are fast
and 100% effective. Many species of stick insect eggs take months to develop
and so it's always best to dispose of surplus eggs soon after they have been
laid. It is not cruel to do this, because in nature, each female stick insect
lays hundreds of eggs during her lifetime, because the vast majority will
perish from being eaten, crushed or water logged.
Our Indian stick insects are
quite lively, but one is more active than the others? We've had them a week and
bought them from Small-Life Supplies. Is "Pronto" always going to be like this?
She's my son's favourite! Healthy adult Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) are
lively when handled and will walk across your hands. As with all animals, there
is some variation in behaviour between individual stick insects. So, for
example, some are naturally more active than others. The same variation is seen
in the flying species, such as the Pink Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea
sipylus), where some adults are always much keener to fly than others. So
Pronto will remain more active throughout her life and so your son can continue
to enjoy taking her out of the ELC cage so she can walk across his hands.
However, stick insects that are more active do not live quite as long as the
less active ones, and so Pronto is likely to be the first one to die of old
age, but this is a long way off yet and your son can enjoy saving some of her
eggs to hatch out the next generation.
I'd like to thank
Small-Life Supplies for suggesting I plant plugs of purple sprouting broccoli
in outdoor pots to help British butterflies. I tried this with six pots and all
six plants soon had eggs on them and I watched the caterpillars grow and I have
now seen the white butterflies last month and this month. The lady on the phone
told me how to do this, so please let her know it was a great success and I
will be repeating this next year!
This is great news, here at Small-Life Supplies,
we do this too and have a 100% success rate! It's important to help British
butterflies but too often the emphasis is on planting the nectar source for the
adult butterflies (for example buddleia) and the needs of the eggs and
caterpillars (larvae) are completely forgotten, despite being essential parts
of the lifecycle. The larval foodplants of the white British butterflies are
brassicas, which include cabbages, spring greens and purple sprouted broccoli.
The latter can be purchased on-line as small plug plants (so are free of
pesticides) and it is very easy to grow purple sprouting broccoli in small
flowerpots outside (just add some soil from the garden and water as required).
We also scatter some stick insect poo (frass) on top of the soil because this
breaks down to make a great fertiliser.
Palm Borer Moths are very
active, I have caught five in the last week, so I think, as with the Box moth,
our Palm trees will not survive this onslaught.
Once again the Box Moth (Cydalima
perspectalis) has decimated box hedges (Buxus sempervirens) in the
UK, but these insects have been here for years and there are now signs that
some of the box hedges that superficially look dead are now starting to
recover. Certainly in Cambridgeshire UK, I am seeing new growth in box hedges
that have looked dead. So it is very unwise to be too hasty and rip out Box
hedging that has been eaten by the caterpillars of the Box moth. The same
applies to other plants, such as Horse Chestnut trees which have had diseased
leaves for about ten years but are now recovering. And of course, older people
may remember the fiasco decades ago of "Dutch Elm disease" where lots of
affected trees were quickly felled, even though it was later found that many
diseased trees can recover in due course. So it is likely that Palm trees will
be able to recover from attacks by the caterpillars of the Palm Borer moths,
although this recovery may take years.
I get that Indian stick insects are
parthenogenetic and 99.99% are female. I am hoping to see a male one day, but
it hasn't happened yet. Is there still ongoing university research into this
area? Yes, research on this
topic is still progressing at esteemed research institutions. The estimate of
about 1 in every 10000 female Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus)
being a true rare male is correct, and is borne out by the frequency we are
recording rare males at Small-Life Supplies (we breed huge numbers of Indian
stick insects and it is really obvious when a rare male occurs). Recent
university research in Switzerland has recorded mating between rare male stick
insects and the females from parthenogenetic species. Originally there was some
doubt as to whether this was possible, but there is now enough recorded and
observational evidence to confirm that it happens, albeit briefly.
Last
weekend I bought a couple of fully grown female Heteropteryx dilatata stick
insects from a pet shop that was closing down. They came with their housing
which is a glass tank with a black mesh lid. The stick insects looked wet and
there was a layer of dead leaves and other detritus on the floor (it smells and
some of it looks mouldy). Unfortunately their legs don't seem to work properly?
I attach a photo hoping you can advise on what I should do next?
Unfortunately your
Malaysian stick insects (Heteropteryx dilatata) have been raised
incorrectly which is why they have health issues. I can see from your photo
that some of the legs have black fungal growth at the areas where the legs join
the body. This infection occurs when the stick insects have been kept too damp,
usually from being sprayed directly with water and being housed in a tank with
insufficient air-flow. The black areas restrict movement for those legs and
they will not recover. However, you can take action to improve the quality of
life for your stick insects and stop the black fungal growth areas from
increasing and spreading to other leg joints. Firstly, never spray the actual
stick insects with water, and only lightly mist the bramble leaves with water.
Secondly, provide a shallow water dish full of cold clean tap water because
Malaysian stick insects do like to drink a lot of water. Thirdly, clean the
glass tank thoroughly with diluted bleach, rinse well and dry thoroughly. And
finally place loose paper sheets (for example A4 copier paper cut to size) on
the floor of the tank because this is an effective method to help keep the
surroundings clean (replace the paper weekly).
This Indian stick insects
adult has been bending and straightening her left middle foot repeatedly when
resting - is this a sign of issues or just normal behaviour?
Thank you for emailing the
short video of your Indian stick insect (Carausius morosus) showing this
behaviour. Many animals, including cats, can twitch slightly when they are
asleep, it is acknowledged to be a sign that they are dreaming. So one
possibility could be that your stick insect was dreaming (assuming stick
insects have the capacity to dream?). Another explanation is that there was
something air-borne that was irritating her foot, which is why she was flexing
it gently in this manner. Either way, it is an interesting observation, but
fortunately it is unlikely to be a symptom of a health
issue.
Tilly, my female Thai stick insect, has just completed her
final moult, but instead of being long and straight, the top of her body is
curved and looks bent (see photo attached). Her enclosure is a 25cm high
acrylic terrarium with pre-drilled air holes. Her younger sisters look OK
still, but I'm worried there may be a genetic anomaly at work
here? Thanks for emailing
the photo, I can instantly identify what the issue is. Her deformity is not
genetic, it has been caused by housing her in an enclosure that is far too
small. When stick insects grow, they slide downwards out of their old skins and
so need plenty of height in the cage to be able to do this properly. So stick
insects need to be housed in a cage at least 48cm high (the ELC stick insect
cage is 51cm high). An enclosure that is only 25cm tall is nowhere near tall
enough and so when a long stick insect such as a Thailand stick insect
(Baculum thaii) tries to shed her skin, there is not enough space. So
whilst sliding out of her old skin she runs out of space and hits the floor
where her new skin hardens in the classic hunch back deformed shape on the
thorax. Sometimes the abdomen is bent too, because there is not enough space
for the stick insect to stretch out and allow her new soft skin to harden in
the correct shape. Thailand stick insect females grow to 18cm long. So, to
prevent your other stick insects suffering the same fate as they mature, I'd
recommend you re-house them in a much taller enclosure, the ELC cage is ideal
for housing up to six adult Thailand stick insects (ideally there pairs).
Hey
Small-Life Supplies! Are you doing the AES show?
Small-Life Supplies is not exhibiting at the AES
show this year. This annual event is once again being held indoors at Kempton
Park racecourse in Surrey, UK and when Small-Life Supplies has exhibited at
this event in previous years, there have been stands promoting nature groups
and societies, and others selling dead insects, entomological equipment, books,
and art. There have been a few spider stands at this event, but arachnids have
never dominated it. This is in complete contrast to the plethora of small
British events advertised as "Invert fairs" but actually comprise mostly of
stands selling live spiders and other stands selling novelty skulls, coffins
and other "decor" for spider tanks.
Can stick insects chew through mesh? My
adult Indian sticks bite it occasionally. Also, is it normal for them to eat
tissue? There are bite marks on the tissue.
Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus)
can chew through some fabric mesh, they can also eat tissue and paper. The
reason they do this is not understood, but eating small quantities of these
items does not appear to harm the stick insects. The ELC cage is constructed
from strong plastic which is impossible for stick insects to eat. The mesh on
the ELC cage is not made from fabric but is thick plastic full of specially
made holes, so these features make the ELC cage a very durable cage.
My
daughter has recently been given four Indian stick insect in a small cage. I
was wondering if I could get another variety to live
alongside? Yes, Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) can be kept in the same cage as Pink Winged
stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) and Thailand stick insects
(Baculum thaii). The best cage to house these stick insects is the ELC
stick insect cage. This cage is 51cm high and has two mesh sides which is ideal
for these stick insects. They all eat bramble (blackberry) leaves and live
happily together.
I'm so glad that I found your site, it's been a mine of
information and of great support (I'm a primary school teacher). Our current
topic is silkmoths and I thought it would be nice if each child could have
their own silk cocoon to hold (empty of course!). What do you think, I assume
they are not overly fragile? And, more importantly, would you have around forty
silk cocoons available? We're hoping to keep the real silkmoths soon, and are
already on your waiting-list for the silkworms!
That's a great idea, it's so important for
children to actually hold and touch nature, rather than just look at images
on-line and in books. And yes, Small-Life Supplies breed lots of Giant Indian
Eri silkmoths (Samia ricini) and so always have loads of empty silk
cocoons for sale, so forty is no problem at all. Silk is a very strong thread
and so the silk cocoon is robust and can be examined closely. It's great that
you will also be looking after the silkmoth caterpillars soon, these are still
too young to send out at the moment, but should be up to size within weeks.
They are easy to look after in the ELC cage and eat privet
leaves.
I'm keeping Indian stick insects for the first time and have a
couple of questions. I keep seven insects about the same age in a ELS cage,
they all hatched between 4 to 19 of June. They've started to lay eggs this week
(which was quite exciting!). Are the first eggs viable? I'll do the math and
try to keep eggs that will hatch when my current stick insects are gone (of old
age I hope). For the next generation, I would like to mix some Pink Winged
stick insects with my Indian ones. Should I buy the Pink Winged nymphs when my
next generation of Indian stick insects have hatched so they'll be the same
age? Your Indian stick
insects (Carausius morosus) have matured faster than usual (three months
instead of the standard five months), perhaps they are being kept in a warm
room? Ideally, Indian stick insects should be kept in a room with a daytime
temperature of 18-21 degrees Celsius and a night time temperature of 12 degrees
Celsius. The first eggs laid are not the best quality, so it's best to wait a
few weeks before saving the eggs. There's room in the ELS cage for seven adult
Indian stick insects and two adult Pink Winged stick insects (Siyloidea
sipylus), so you could purchase the Pink Winged nymphs now if you wish.
There is no problem with mixing these two species together in the same cage,
either as adults together, nymphs together, or a mixture of adults and nymphs
together.
I have 3 adult Lonchodiodes sp. "Ilocos", two males and a female. The
males are constantly mating with her. One will spend about 6 hours with
her then when he leaves the other one latches on. I've started taking her
out into another cage for a few hours so she gets peace to eat. Am I doing
the right thing? It's always
best to have roughly equal numbers of male and female stick insects in a cage,
so it would help if you could acquire another adult female. Many species of
stick insect mate briefly, but other species copulate for hours at a time. It's
not good to disturb mating insects and it is for this reason that Small-Life
Supplies does not breed stick insect species that mate for very long periods,
including the Vietnamese stick insect (Nuichua rabaeyae) which can mate
continuously for two months! Adult female stick insects are always much larger
than adult male stick insects and so it is the stronger female that determines
when she wants to eat and if she wants a rest from mating. However, it is
important that she is not outnumbered, so getting another female would be the
best solution.
My daughter loves art and is compiling her portfolio of insect
paintings. She's fourteeen but very gifted and I was wondering if Small-Life
Supplies would consider giving her the opportunity to showcase some of her work
on your "Art and Specimens" webpage? Naturally, we wouldn't expect any payment,
but the prestige of having this publicity would be of real help and support to
her. It's great that your
daughter likes to create insect paintings. And yes, please phone Small-Life
Supplies on 01733 913480 to discuss your proposal. The size of the paintings
needs to be A4 and can be either landscape or portrait. Small-Life Supplies is
always keen to help people promote insects and happy to give new insect artists
a boost.
Please explain about the controversy concerning the name change
for Sunnys, formerly Sungaya inexpectata but now Sungaya aeta or Sungaya sp
"ilanin"? In 2008
Sungaya sp "Ilanin" was discovered in the Ilanin forest in Bataan
province, West Luzon in the Philippines. Captive breeding of this species began
in earnest. Following standard practice, this stick insect was tentatively
assigned a genus followed by "sp" (abbreviation for species), pending further
identification. Fifteen years later, in 2023, the formal identification was
finally announced, this species being declared as Sungaya aeta, a
sexually dimorphic species, ie males and females look different, with males and
females in approximately equal numbers. Unfortunately, in the intervening years
there has been widespread confusion with descendants of that breeding stock
being mis-sold as Sungaya inexpectata, which has some similarities in
appearance, but is a different species and is
parthenogenetic.
What do stick insects need for substrate?
Paper sheet is the best substrate for stick
insects. This is because it can be replaced easily once a week so that the
stick insects are kept in clean surroundings. And, very importantly, it is easy
to spot eggs on a paper sheet, so you can pick out the eggs you wish to save
and dispose of the unwanted ones. It is not a good idea to use granular
substrates such as soil, earth, sand, vermiculite, peat and gravel because the
eggs and poo (frass) get trapped in there and this leads to unhygienic
conditions and, in time, a potential population explosion of stick insects.
I read
this on another nature page and thought her account would resonate with your
followers: "I have lots of Privet and Privet Hawks to go with it (and Poplar
Hawks too pruning my Poplar). No need to worry about cutting the privet hedge
any more - the Privet Hawks will do that in no time at all! I always loved the
Butterfly world, never thought of trying to protect and breed them. I only have
an unheated greenhouse to share with my livestock and get particularly thrilled
when, having put a cage with female Poplar Hawk moth in it out in the garden
for the night, I find a male hanging on to the outside of the cage in the
morning - waiting for the door to be opened and be invited in! I'm 86 now so
not active as I was in being able to go 'bug hunting'. However, I am lucky
enough to live in the middle of a field and have a largish garden, so do quite
well. What a shame that there are people who do not like Butterflies, and Moths
in particular. Moths being just as beautiful as butterflies when they open
their wings." Thanks for
sharing this, and yes the author clearly conveys the satisfaction reaped from
rearing British hawk moths, and at the same time helping sustain these
populations in the wild. And she is correct in highlighting the negativity many
people feel towards moths, I find this attitude arises from ignorance, people
mistakenly believing that "clothes moths" are representative of all moths!
Whereas of course in reality there are masses of colourful and beautiful moths
in the UK (and of course the number of species of moths far outnumbers that of
butterflies).
What are the first signs of old age in stick insects? My Indian
stick insect is 11 months old and doing well, though I have noticed she is very
thirsty - she has just drank almost non stop for 20 minutes! Is this a sign
that she might be becoming ill? Is it possible for an old stick to drink too
much water? Can drinking a lot be bad?
It is normal for old stick insects to drink more
water and for stick insects dying from old age to drink even more. It is also
normal for hot stick insects to drink more water. An Indian stick insect
(Carausius morosus) only drinks when she is thirsty, so you did the
right thing in letting her drink for as long as she wanted to. Signs of old age
in Indian stick insects include: extra thirst, loss of grip in the feet (front
feet usually affected first), lethargy, reduced appetite and body duller in
appearance. During the next few days it will be obvious if your stick insect
just got too hot and needed a one-off long drink to rehydrate, or if she is
nearing the end of her life and continues to drink and show more of the
symptoms listed above. Indian stick insects usually live for approximately one
year, but this is an average figure, so some individuals live a month or so
less whilst others live a month or so more.
Where can I buy Eucalyptus leaves for my
Australian stick insects? I live in the UK but am reluctant to purchase from a
garden centre because of the high risk of pesticides.
Small-Life Supplies have huge Eucalyptus
gunnii trees which we regularly harvest and a courier delivers the fresh
cut stems and small branches nationwide. They keep fresh for several weeks if
stood in a bucket of water outside. The price for a large box (approx 60cm
high) stuffed full of fresh cut eucalyptus is £24, including mainland UK
delivery (excluding Scottish Highlands). Or a smaller quantity is £16.50.
To purchase, please phone Small-Life Supplies on 01733 913480 with credit/debit
card, or email cindi@small-life.co.uk if you'd prefer to use PayPal or Bank
Transfer. Eucalyptus gunnii leaves are eaten by Australian Macleays
Spectre stick insects (Extatosoma tiaratum), Pink Winged stick insects
(Sipyloidea sipylus) and Grenadan green bean stick insects
(Diapherodes gigantea).
On our large bramble patch, we've noticed
that some of the leaves are going yellow and there are dead stems underneath,
but strangely there are lots of green leaves and stems on top? We are concerned
that this plant may be dying, is there anything we can do to help it?
The good news is that your
plant is not dying, it is fine and looking exactly like it is supposed to.
Bramble bushes grow upwards, with the lower stems dying off and very long new
green stems (or two-tone green and purple stems) growing above. If you have a
bramble bush in your garden, or one that you have planted against a fence or
wall, you need to cut out the dead stems when you see them, otherwise the plant
will just get taller and taller, with lots of dead stems visible. In wild
overgrown areas, deer often rest in the dead areas of these bushes. The yellow
bramble leaves are normal as we approach autumn, so you can snip them off and
discard them. Although some of the leaves will turn yellow and be unsuitable
for your stick insects, your bramble plant should still have lots of green
leaves that will remain green throughout the winter months.
We've had our colony of
Indian stick insects in the ELC cage for about six months now and they are a
much loved part of the family. A cleaning sponge was sent as part of the cage
bundle and I am now ready to use it for the first time. Any tips on what
detergent to use and how hot the water can be?
Great to hear that your Indian stick insects
(Carausius morosus) are a successful addition to your family. We use
dilute bleach to clean our ELC cages, applying this to the soft cleaning sponge
and rubbing this on all the clear panels, the white ventilated sides, and the
grey base. It is very important to dilute the bleach in lukewarm or cold water.
Never use hot water because this will permanently distort the plastic. Always
rinse the cage thoroughly in cold water and dry with a soft cotton tea towel.
Do sticks
like being handled? Sometimes my Indian sticks wont let me hold them,
other times they happily walk all the way up my arm.
Yes, Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus)
respond well to handling and this is one of the reasons why people enjoy
keeping stick insects as pets. It's a good idea to get them used to a routine,
so try handling them at approximately the same time every day, so they get used
to this and will be active around this time. If you have Indian stick insects
nymphs (immature stick insects), it's important to look at the body of the
stick insect before you handle her to see how fat it looks. If it looks fat and
is dull, do not handle the stick insect because a skin-change (ecdysis) is
imminent and she is conserving her energy for this event. Or, if her body looks
pale and thin, do not handle her because she has recently completed a
skin-change and is weak, so needs time to rest and recover.
Ive
seen that delayed moulting can be a sign of a less healthy stick, but is it the
same for sticks that moult earlier than expected? Two of my Indian stick
insects have had their first moult at 14 days old instead of 3 weeks old, and
wasnt sure if this was normal.
No, if a stick insect is ill, the growth is always
slower than expected. The reason why your stick insects are growing faster than
expected is because of the hot weather we have been experiencing in the UK
recently. Hotter temperatures always accelerate growth, both for the incubating
eggs and the growing stick insect nymphs. This is not a good thing, so during
very hot spells, it is best to move your cage of stick insects to a room that
is between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius during the day. Keeping curtains and
blinds closed during the day and placing ice packs on the top of the cages also
helps to reduce the temperature inside the cages housing stick insects.
One of
my Pink Winged stick insects has passed away. I'm concerned because I received
them as older nymphs in late February and I'm fairly sure their average
lifespan is longer than that. I noticed no prior signs of decline and she was
in fact the more active and capable flier of the two even up to a week ago. My
dead Pink Wing has a large dark patch on her underside which I know can
indicate a fungal infection, however as I'm not sure how long she's been dead
(certainly no longer than a week), I don't know if it's just decay? I spray the
leaves every night and have been increasing how much water I use during the
hotter weather as I was concerned about dehydration but the cage is not
noticeably more humid, with no condensation or anything. I've been doing my
best to keep them cool during the warmer weather including putting an ice pack
on top of the ELC cage. Thank you for emailing me the photos of your dead and alive Pink
Winged stick insects (Sipyloidea sipylus). Fortunately your stick
insects do not have any sort of fungal infection. The black patch on the
underside is decay following death. It is always the most active flyers that
die first. The hot weather may have also been a contributory factor, but you
have acted correctly by cooling the cage down and providing more water to
drink. Hopefully you will be seeing the next generation soon, the newly hatched
Pink Winged are large and pale green and usually rest underneath the ELC cage
roof.
Are
some stick insects more difficult to care for than
others? Yes, some species of
stick insect are more challenging to keep than others. So it's best to start
with an easy-to-keep type, such as the Indian stick insect (Carausius
morosus). Other easy stick insects include the Pink Winged stick insect
(Sipyloidea sipylus) and the Thailand stick insects (Baculum
thaii). More difficult species of stick insect include the Malaysian
"Jungle Nymph" stick insect (Heteropteryx dilatata) and the long
Australian Titan stick insect (Acrophylla wuelfingi), so these are
better suited to people who have more experience. Avoid the dangerous types
altogether, such as the Florida stick insect (Anisomorpha buprestoides)
because these dangerous stick insects emit a spray which can cause
temporary blindness in people and pets.
Are mesh walls better or
worse than a mesh roof for successful moulting in stick insects?
Mesh walls are much better
than a mesh roof. This is because the stick insect can get a good foothold on
the mesh and then slide vertically downward against the wall to safely complete
its skin-change (ecdysis). A stick insect that attempts to moult from the roof
sways around and so is less protected than being close to a wall, and being so
exposed puts the stick insect at increased risk of something going wrong during
this vulnerable time. The ELC stick insect cage has two mesh walls and is ideal
housing for many species of stick insect.
I so want your New Guinea
stick insects, they look gorgeous! Your images show green nymphs, my question
is do any stay green or do they always go brown as they mature?
New Guinea stick insects
(Eurycantha calcarata) change colour several times during their lives. The
newly hatched stick insects (called first instar nymphs) are always dark grey,
but as they grow, they change colour and become all-green, or all-brown or
sometimes a mottled green/brown. As these individuals mature, most females
become pale brown although very occasionally a female will remain pale green.
The vast majority of adult males are a glossy dark brown, but we have seen a
few that are light brown. The gloss finish on the males' bodies fade as they
age, so the body of a three year old adult male will look dull and matt in
comparison to a male that is only one year old.
How do I hatch Indian and
Pink Winged stick insect eggs and care for their nymphs? Do I just leave the
Pink Wing eggs on the side of the cage on the hatch mat? Also how many adults
of each species can you keep together in a mixed-species ELC
cage? Pink Winged stick
insects (Sipyloidea sipylus) are very large when they hatch (43mm) and
like airy surroundings from birth. So detach the Hatch Mat from the outside of
the ELC cage and place it inside the ELC cage when hatching is imminent (the
egg incubation time for Pink Winged stick insects is approximately three
months). Keep the Indian stick insect eggs (Carausius morosus)
separately in a HAP. This is an unventilated container and the Indian stick
insect eggs will hatch in approximately four months. No attention is required
during this time, so just place the eggs in the HAP and wait. Do not spray with
water. The newly hatched Indian stick insects prefer less ventilated
surroundings and so keep them in the HAP for the first few weeks of their
lives, feeding them with a fresh wet bramble leaf. The ELC cage will
comfortably house ten adult Indian stick insects and six adult Pink Winged
stick insects. These two species live happily together. |