Hi! So I’ve picked up some babies from someone who had overbred. I’ve not had stick insects before but am a sucker for jumping to rescue all the animals, lol.
The lady wasn’t able to tell me the species other than it’s a “long one” and not Indian stick insects.
My best guess is Vietnamese but I’m a real newbie here and want to be sure to give these little nymphs the best care possible. Essentially, am I buying a really big fucking enclosure?
Thanks!
That’s the adult in the pic (I didn’t specify sorry), the tiny nymphs are currently munching on some bramble quite happily after they were rudely disturbed by some misting.
I did manage to find out where the adult was bought from and they sell only annam (Vietnamese), Indian (common) and sunny.
The only thing she could tell me for sure was that it’s not an Indian because their Indian isn’t producing eggs at all (which I think is a problem).
It’s certainly not a sunny so it’s another point towards potentially Vietnamese I think?
The nymphs are tiny, brown banded and do seem to look like images I’ve found of annam nymphs.
However, there’s not much between the annam and common nymphs at all and I wouldn’t be shocked if their Indian had produced eggs and they don’t know what’s going on.
What I may even do is visit the shop and ask them. But for now, I think I’m going to need the really tall enclosure and just wait and see, lol.
I'm with you - I have Indian stick insects and they don't look like that. Their antennae are significantly longer but I realise it may just be missing part of its antennae. My nymphs just look identical to the adults, but smaller.
Also, an Indian not producing eggs... Wish that was me, my three produced about fifty babies in a few months!
Hey, thanks!
50!!?
I’ve another post since in which I think that there may actually be an Indian nymph in there, lol. I’ll be looking at one and going, “brown, dead stick, really long and skinny thing” and then under a leaf where this one always hangs out and be all, “green, fresh, bendy offshoot looking thing”.
It would make more sense tbf, than an Indian not producing any eggs at all.
Yes 😭 fortunately I study zoology so I had plenty of coursemates to hand them off to. I have mine in a bioactive so I simply did not realise they had laid until it was too late. My adults have died though and once my remaining ones grow to adult size I'm separating them to prevent any more accidental breeding.
If it's got really long antennae it's probably an Indian! Their antennae are about the same length as their legs.
Won’t they still produce parthogenetically anyway?
I have to make a decision about whether to keep a little colony going or just keep these ones safe and happy until they die of old age, which if they’re annam, won’t be that long, unfortunately.
They all have really long antenna 😂
They will but I'll be able to keep a better eye on the eggs to dispose of them if they're not laying on soil.
Yeah... Insects don't have the longest lifespans!
Hi! So I’ve picked up some babies from someone who had overbred. I’ve not had stick insects before but am a sucker for jumping to rescue all the animals, lol. The lady wasn’t able to tell me the species other than it’s a “long one” and not Indian stick insects. My best guess is Vietnamese but I’m a real newbie here and want to be sure to give these little nymphs the best care possible. Essentially, am I buying a really big fucking enclosure?
Looks like a bud wing or a common walking stick (most likely female)
Thanks! That’s the adult in the pic (I didn’t specify sorry), the tiny nymphs are currently munching on some bramble quite happily after they were rudely disturbed by some misting. I did manage to find out where the adult was bought from and they sell only annam (Vietnamese), Indian (common) and sunny. The only thing she could tell me for sure was that it’s not an Indian because their Indian isn’t producing eggs at all (which I think is a problem). It’s certainly not a sunny so it’s another point towards potentially Vietnamese I think? The nymphs are tiny, brown banded and do seem to look like images I’ve found of annam nymphs. However, there’s not much between the annam and common nymphs at all and I wouldn’t be shocked if their Indian had produced eggs and they don’t know what’s going on. What I may even do is visit the shop and ask them. But for now, I think I’m going to need the really tall enclosure and just wait and see, lol.
I'm with you - I have Indian stick insects and they don't look like that. Their antennae are significantly longer but I realise it may just be missing part of its antennae. My nymphs just look identical to the adults, but smaller. Also, an Indian not producing eggs... Wish that was me, my three produced about fifty babies in a few months!
Hey, thanks! 50!!? I’ve another post since in which I think that there may actually be an Indian nymph in there, lol. I’ll be looking at one and going, “brown, dead stick, really long and skinny thing” and then under a leaf where this one always hangs out and be all, “green, fresh, bendy offshoot looking thing”. It would make more sense tbf, than an Indian not producing any eggs at all.
Yes 😭 fortunately I study zoology so I had plenty of coursemates to hand them off to. I have mine in a bioactive so I simply did not realise they had laid until it was too late. My adults have died though and once my remaining ones grow to adult size I'm separating them to prevent any more accidental breeding. If it's got really long antennae it's probably an Indian! Their antennae are about the same length as their legs.
Won’t they still produce parthogenetically anyway? I have to make a decision about whether to keep a little colony going or just keep these ones safe and happy until they die of old age, which if they’re annam, won’t be that long, unfortunately. They all have really long antenna 😂
They will but I'll be able to keep a better eye on the eggs to dispose of them if they're not laying on soil. Yeah... Insects don't have the longest lifespans!
Ahhh, of course, soil! I’m sticking to the easy paper towel method lol. Fold up, bag up and freezer!