Peruvian Fern Stick insect - Oreophotes peruana Caresheet and breeding guidelines

Here is a phasmid resource, Care sheet (Oreophotes peruana), courtesy of Chris Pull:

PSG84 Oreophotes peruana

Common name: Peruvian Fern S/I

Subfamily: Diapheromerinae

Origin: Peru

Adult size: Females: 60mm Males: 55mm

Food plants: Various Ferns. They especially like Birds nest and Bracken.

Description: Long antennae in both species. Females black an yellow or black and orange. Males scarlet with black legs. Small beady black eyes. Females have a very rotund abdomen when laying. Eggs, which are disc shaped, are grey and black when dry, but reddish-black when wet.

Comment: Easy enough to keep, providing you have access to ferns all year round. Keep humid in an enclosed tank, but provide some ventilation. I use kitchen roll as a substrate, which is kept damp. Fern moulds fairly quickly, so needs replacing every week, if not sooner. It may be an idea to pot up some ferns to place in the tank. Last winter I brought those small Bird’s Nest Ferns, at 99p each from Tescos. These lasted about a month. Beware of pesticides; however the majority of ferns aren’t contaminated. I’d buy the fern about 2 months prior to using, just to be safe. Eggs are kept on damp vermiculite, and take about 2-3 months to hatch.

Thanks Chris!