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Spiny Leaf Insects FACT SHEET Extatosoma tiaratum Introduction and Origin There are over 2500 stick insects or Phasmids worldwide, with around 150 species being found in Australia. The Spiny Leaf insect occurs mainly along the east coast, particularly in warm, tropical regions. Phasmid comes from the Greek word meaning “phantom”, which describes how these stick insects blend into their surroundings by resembling dry, shriveled leaves. If they are disturbed, they will sway from side to side like a leaf being blown by the wind and sometimes they will even fall to the ground and remain motionless, blending in with leaf litter. A baby spiny leaf insect is called a nymph. While the Spiny looks quite bizarre, it is actually quite docile and completely harmless. Housing These insects will need a relatively large, well ventilated cage so there is enough room for them to walk around. These can be purchased from any good pet shop. The cage should be positioned where there is sun light during the day but not extreme heat that is going to cook your insect. It is important that they have UV from the sun to help them grow and shed their skins, so try and avoid dark rooms. Diet The Spiny Leaf Insect feeds mainly on Eucalyptus leaves. Generally they prefer broad leaf varieties but you may have to try out a few different varieties to find one that they like to eat. They have also been known to eat wattle and rose leaves, which will change their colouring from brown to green. Fresh leaves should be provided every 2 – 3 days and keeping the leaves in a jar of water will help maintain their freshness. Care should be taken that the Spineys can’t fall into the water container and drown. Spineys get all their food and water requirements from the leaves that they eat and they will enjoy a fine mist of WE LOVE PETS RE07 Spiny Stick Insects Spiny Leaf Insects FACT SHEET water sprayed in their enclosure once a day to maintain humidity. uncurl their bodies as they emerge from the egg. The newly emerged nymphs can uncurl themselves up to four times the size of their egg, and they look like ants, having a black body with an orange Stick Insects are very clean animals, head. Care should be taken with feeding and will require minimum maintenance. the hatchlings as they haven’t yet Collection of shed skins poo and wiping developed the strong, cutting mandibles down of the sides of the enclosure of an adult spiny, so the babies are weekly will ensure good quite dependant on a supply hygiene for your Stick Insect. of soft, newly sprouted leaves. Learn more Over the next few months the Never use detergents or from the team young leaf insect will go through at Kellyville Pets insecticides when cleaning. several moults, known as Instars, shedding and leaving their old skin behind as they grow too big for it. The female Spiny Leaf Insect is unable After their first moult the babies stop to fly as she only has tiny wings that looking like ants and start to look like can’t lift her body weight. She is quite miniature adults. spiky in appearance, and her tail curls up over her back. She will live for around 18 months. Males are long, straight and slender and have fully developed wings with which they are able fly and they live for approximately 12 months. Cleaning Breeding The female will lay anywhere from 100 to 1300 eggs. She doesn’t need a male to produce eggs, but eggs produced without a male result in all her babies being females. The female flicks her eggs from the end of her tail. These eggs resemble small, round, cream seeds and can take anywhere up to three years to hatch, waiting for the right conditions. Further information on diet, hygiene, vitamins, Vets and much more is available from the team at Kellyville Pets. If you happen to have a female lay eggs, then mist the eggs every 2 – 3 days with a fine water sprayer, and keep your eyes out for tiny spiny leaf insects which will At Kellyville Pets, we encourage responsible pet ownership. Phone 9629 3282 OPEN 7 DAYS 106B Windsor Rd Kellyville NSW 2155 www.kellyvillepets.com.au WE LOVE PETS © Copyright 2009 Kellyville Pets - The information in this brochure is meant as a guide only. Kellyville Pets take no responsibility of any description for any consequence and or result that may eventuate as a consequence of any information obtained from this brochure.