The branches should be cut to the right size and placed in a container such as a vase or jar filled with water to keep the tips of the branches wet. The leaves should last about a week, longer if the leaves are freshly cut from the tree and if the water in the container is regularly changed. Removing the old branches and changing the leaves is the most time-consuming part of keeping stick insects. It is easy to throw the phasmids out with the old branches and at first the task of taking each insect off individually and placing it back in the enclosure will seem daunting, however it is possible to train the eyes to spot the particular shape of young phasmids on the branch, remember their instinct will be remain motionless and they are particularly good at not being seen.
One way to make the task easier is to take the branches out in the morning and sit them in a bucket, once you have placed all the larger and more obvious insects back into the enclosure you can leave the bucket for a few hours.
Over time the smaller phasmids will move toward the top of the branches and can be placed in the enclosure as they are found. Another strategy is to have two containers, in one the new branches are placed and over a few days the stick insects will move from the older leaves to the new leaves, making branch removal easier.
Phasmids drink droplets from the leaves and can be watered by providing them with a daily misting using a spray bottle. Too much moisture can lead to mould which can harm phasmids. Every few weeks the bottom of the enclosure needs to be cleaned out.
The insect droppings also known as frass and eggs can be scooped up and placed in a container. The eggs will need to be removed before you throw out the frass, sand or newspaper. You can then set up the eggs as described above. The glass and other surfaces should be cleaned as well, which can be done with paper towel and water.
If detergent is used it should be rinsed thoroughly with water. The enclosure should be dried out before returning the leaves and phasmids. Phasmids are easy to handle safely without harming their delicate bodies, the trick is not to handle them but to let the insect walk onto you and grip your hand. Phasmids can be taken from a branch, leaf or surface of the enclosure by placing a flat palm in front of the insect, unless the insect is stressed and unwilling to be handled the front legs should grip your hand and the insect will walk onto your hand.
Phasmids are most comfortable hanging upside down and so will stay still. Remember; let the stick insect do the handling. This harmless insect was used to terrify movie-goers in the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and is one of the most interesting and sought-after phasmids kept around the world.
Females are wingless and are very different in shape to the slender male. The eggs have a knob, called a capitulum, which is attractive to ants. The young phasmids also known as nymphs hatch after one to three years underground and look and behave like Red-headed Black Ants.
Spiny Leaf Insects eat eucalyptus leaves but have also been raised on rose and raspberry leaves by keepers overseas where eucalyptus is not always available. In this species the females look like 'leaves' and males look like 'sticks'.
The eggs are elongated, tan capsule-like and young are bright green to whitish-green. This species feeds and blend in well on eucalypt leaves. One of the largest species of stick insect in Australia with females growing over mm. These insects make spectacular display animals due to their impressive size and vivid green and gold markings. Males have similar colour and patterning but are smaller, have wings and are capable of flight.
The eggs of this species are large 3mm , have a grainy bark-like texture and are cylindrical in shape. The young are brown and stick like and remain so until they under go their final mature moulting phase.
Goliath Stick insects will feed on Eucalyptus and females are hardy and tolerant of handling however some individuals can become cranky when agitated and will rapidly open their wings to reveal a pinkish-red stripe. In some cases when a female is threatened she may compress the handlers fingers and palm with the sharp spikes on the hand which can be painful, however this is not usually encountered in Goliath females that are handled properly with care. These are the true 'sticks' of the stick insect world and will blend in to become invisible on any branch.
The females grow to around mm and have long bodies that are uniform brown without any markings or features. The males are shorter, more slender and have slender folded wings which they will readily use to take flight. A rapid flash of the small wings of the female will be used as a defensive display once she is aware that her camouflage is not working.
Margin-winged Stick Insect eggs are around 2mm long, smooth and black in appearance. The young are green for the first few weeks of life.
This species does not have any special care requirements and will eat eucalyptus leaves. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.
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Skip to main content Skip to acknowledgement of country Skip to footer Stick insects or phasmids eat leaves and resemble leaves or sticks. The biology of Stick Insects. Diversity There are estimated to be approximately species of phasmids in Australia with a total worldwide number of with new species being discovered by scientists regularly.
A permit from the U. Department of Agriculture is required to import them. Check your local and state laws before getting any kind of stick or leaf insect as a pet.
Generally, you can find stick insects for sale online through reptile supply vendors. They are challenging to find for sale in most pet stores since they are considered pests by many states. If you are interested in stick insects, check out:. Otherwise, check out other exotic pets that might interest you.
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In This Article Expand. Behavior and Temperament. Food and Water. Health Problems. Molting and Reproduction. Similar Pets. Breed Overview Common Name: Stick insect, Indian stick insect, Indian walking stick, laboratory stick insect Scientific Name: Carausius morosus Adult Size: 4 to 5 inches Life Expectancy: 1 year, although they can live longer in captivity. Featured Video. Read More. Your Privacy Rights.
To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSprucePets. Phasmids are medium to very large mm insects. Stick insects are usually very thin and elongated. In contrast Leaf insects are often very flat and wide, thus more closely resembling leaves rather than sticks.
Many species are wingless but, when wings are present, the fore wings are shortened and hardened. The hind wings are membranous. The legs are often very thin and can be held almost flat against the body of the insect. Some species have brightly coloured hind wings which can be 'flashed' to scare away predators.
Other species, such as the American Walking Stick Anisomorpha bupestroides and to a lesser extent the Pink Winged Stick insect Sipyloidea sipylus , have a defensive chemical spray which can cause temporary blindness and considerable pain to humans. In some species males are rarely or never seen. The females of these species reproduce parthenogenically. That is, the females lay unfertilised eggs which hatch into females which also lay unfertilised eggs. However, in many species both males and females are present.
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