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View Full Version : Giant Stick Bug (Phobaeticus serratipes, formerly known as Pharnacia serratipes)


AlexPan
10-23-2007, 08:41 AM
Giant Stick Bug (Phobaeticus serratipes, formerly known as Pharnacia serratipes) (PSG-25)

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea
Sub-Order: Anareolatae
Family: Phasmatidae
Sub-Family: Phasmatinae
Genus: Phobaeticus
Species: serratipes
Year: ???
Distribution: West Malaysia, Singapore.

This specie holds the record for the longest individual insect ever at 55.5cm long. One of the hardest thing to do is to raise them to maturity in captivity without them losing any legs. Usually takes 4-5 month for their eggs to hatch. They have to be kept at 24-25°C, 70-80% damp.

A nymphs hatching:
http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/Pictures/P.S6.JPG

I have lost my P. serratipes culture. They were doing great for me, but then when all have hatched from the parents that I hatched and grew up, during a couple of months all (around 200) have died. Some have died from molting problems, others from not eating Bramble, though their parents were fed on Bramble their whole life. I think the molting problems can be blamed on not feeding their parents anything but Bramble, thus they had not enaph nutrience to sustain a healthy exoskeleton. Though I still wander why other nymphs would not eat.

Females: are commonly green but sometimes brown.

Adult female:
http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/Pictures/P.S15.JPG

Males: are much shorter than females. Males have a blue and a black stripe along the sides of the thorax, and are winged, but cannot fly. Their wings get 5 1/2 inches (14cm) long.

Diet: Oak, Bramble, Photinia, Red/ Yellow Salmon Berry.

Insectchat
10-23-2007, 09:50 AM
I am so jealous, that looks like a totally awesome beast! Great care sheet =]

AlexPan
10-23-2007, 08:26 PM
I do not have this specie any more, still have Pharnacia biceps though, is just a bet shorter but just as awesome. Still got some ova available for trades of them :)!

Arachnomaniak
10-24-2007, 03:21 AM
Another great care sheet! I love that picture! Definitely shows their size well! Let us know if you get your hands on any more of these!
PS - I can't wait until my Pharnacia biceps start hatching :)

Insectchat
10-24-2007, 12:50 PM
Oh awesome Alex, the Pharnacia are another one I would like.
Think the PSG had some this year actually.