Stick Insect Pet

COMMON NAME: Stick Insect

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carausius morosus

DISTRIBUTION: This species, the common one, came fromIndia and other Asian countries, but there are several otherspecies occurring throughout the tropics

HABITAT: Trees and shrubs in gardens, parklands and forests

ADULT SIZE: 10 cm (4 in)

GENERAL: The Indian Stick Insect is the best known species,frequently to be found in schools and homes, and it is by far theeasiest to maintain in captivity. Males are rarely if ever encoun-tered in this species though the females lay fertile eggs prolifically.Keep the animals at room temperature. Some species of stick insect are winged and others are coveredwith thorns to complete the disguise. Leaf insects, which areclosely related, also come in a variety of forms that are difficult todistinguish from surrounding vegetation. The length of a stickinsect's life is nearly a year. Do not handle stick insects as they are very fragile. Let themwalk from one piece of foodplant to another rather than trying tomove them.

FOOD: Privet is the easiest thing on which to feed common IndianStick Insects. Some species feed on bramble, or rhododendron, or ivy, though they are reluctant to change from one to the other - check with the supplier as to what has been used. Wash the plantwell to remove toxic residues before offering it to the animals, andnever pick any foodplant if it might have been sprayed with gardening or agricultural chemicals.
The foodplant should be packed tightly in a jar of water in thetank to prevent the insects crawling down the stems and drowning.Newly emerged babies, and adults just before they die, need adrink of water: throughout the rest of their lives they obtain suffi-cient moisture from the leaves.

HOUSING: The best way of housing stick insects is to keep them inan aquarium with a nylon mesh top, and sheets of clean unusednewsprint on the floor.

BREEDING: Most stick insects reproduce freely, without any helpfrom you. When the eggs are laid, separate them from any faecesto avoid confusion, and place them in a match box tray inside thetank. In due course they will hatch into tiny stick insects, but theydo take a long time. No other care is necessary to stimulate breed-ing - you will soon find that you have an embarrassment of eggs.