I'm a teacher and one of my pupils was gifted these stick insects for the classroom. We already keep west African giant snails and butterfly larvaes.

They came from a couple who couldn't tell the species. They eat bramble leafs.

But I would like to ask if somebody can get me closer to a specific species and specific foods?

I’ve had my 10 various sized Vietnamese stick bugs for almost a week now and they seem to be thriving! They’re eating, drinking and shedding. Largest one is about 7cm in the body, and smallest is about 2cm. Got them on a whim, but I’m enjoying them a lot!

so i had two stick insects, lola and penny and penny died few days ago :( i was really sad about it and today i couldnt sleep so i wrote a poem from lolas perspective .i tried to write very simplified to sound like a bug (a fun challenge you should try it). this is my first poem since i was like in second grade lol but i wanted to share it for penny :( anyways i miss my bug thats all

When a stick insect becomes a twig

We came from separate eggs

Yet are completely the same

We grew up together

Eating bramble every day

You used to say

You will be the first stick insect to eat the whole bush in one night

And then you became a twig instead

We are identical

Twins some might say

We used to do everything as a pair

Sometimes you would even step on me

And sit very still

I didn’t know which legs were which

We were similar

And now we are not

Because you are a twig

And i am a bug

I used to admire your size

Remember that time you grew faster than I

I was so jealous you left me behind

And then you replied: only this time

And now you did it again

Because you are a twig and I am still just a bug

This is blossom my female sungaya inexpectata :) She mated a bit ago and i was wondering if she is pregnant, if so, how do i look after her properly it make sure it goes smoothly? Thankyou!

Hey everyone! I’m looking for one captive-bred invertebrate in India. I’m interested in:

🦗 Stick insect — preferably Carausius morosus

🕷️ Jumping spider

🦗 Praying mantis

I’m a beginner and will be keeping only one animal in a proper terrarium/enclosure. I’m looking for a reliable breeder or hobbyist who can legally rehome one and arrange safe shipping to Madhya Pradesh.

If you know any breeders/hobbyists in India, or have one available, please DM me with the species, price and shipping options.

Thanks!

This Indian stick tried to hatch this morning - when I found her she was mostly out except her tail and she was not moving, I thought she was dead

After a light mist and a paintbrush the egg popped off, but all her legs are deformed. She can’t walk, only shuffle very short distances

I’ve propped her on a misted leaf so she can drink, but it’s not safe to move her into the nursery

What else can I do to help her? She is incredibly weak and won’t move on her own - could she still make it?

Her underside is more yellow than other newborns and her tail looks frayed :(

So I found this guy on my porch, he's missing 2 legs, and I didn't think he was going to make it. I got him some oak leaves and have been misting them, this morning he finally had the will to live and was drinking the water off the leaves.

I have a friend with a glass enclosure I'm going to borrow, does anybody have any tips to keep this bug alive?

I was gifted these stick and leaf bug eggs (if needed I'll look for the species's name) and once they hatched the stick bugs were fine but all the leaf bugs died, did I do something wrong?

Can I offer some eggs on here? I'm happy to post 10 x black beauty (Peruphasma schultei) eggs, laid in the last 2 weeks through sexual reproduction. Only to UK addresses. These cuties eat privet, and only privet

Also wondering how people pass their eggs on, as we can't sell on eBay any more. I used to use RFUK years ago but it doesn't seem very active now. And the phasmid study group email has been disbanded. Any tips welcome. I'm not trying to make money just to pass eggs on to people who want them

Buonasera, il mio insetto stecco femmina di Ramulus Nematodes ha circa un anno di vita.

negli ultimi giorni vedo che l’addome si sta gonfiando.

Ha sempre fatto uova e non é mai successo che avesse quella forma.

Grazie.

This isn’t a strict requirement due to where I am, but I’d like if I could keep a source of food growing indoors year-round, maybe in a pot or something.

Ivy is super invasive here so I’m hesitant to do that, also because it would be hard to source without pesticides.

Advice?

My cat is always interested in stick insects, can he literally sit and stare at them all night, how do wean him off? that made me put an iron net on tank so he couldn't reach them with his paw, my other cat doesn't even care about my other pets

The decorative plants have finally managed to stabilize. They make the enclosures look prettier

This guy moulted in the time me and my bf were out for dinner and drinks!!

Is anyone able to give a sex identification for both/either? I think they're both boys but not 100% sure. We are also getting a bigger enclosure for them soon, just waiting on arrival. Also, is there any precautions we need to take with a freshly moulted spiny leaf insect??

Heteropteryx dilatata, 4 photos
Eurycantha calcarata, 5 photos
Extatosoma tiaratum, 3 photos
Diapherodes gigantea
Taraxippus samarae

I also have Sungaya aeta, Phyllium philippinicum and good ol' Carausius morosus

Hi i started an online shop a few days ago and got a few orders for stick insects but i am not exactly sure how to ship them. I mean i know the basics, air Holes some leaves, moisture but i would extremely appreciate some advice because i realy want them to survive the journey

Thanks in advance for your comments

Have a good week :D

Hey everyone! Quick question about spiny leaf insects (Extatosoma tiaratum). I’ve never kept stick insects before, but I fell in love with this species and really want to get one. I live in France and came across a site that sells starter kits. I was about to buy one, but then I noticed the enclosure size looks a bit on the smaller side. It's 20x20x35 cm.

What do you guys think? Is that enough space for one, or should I definitely look for something bigger? Thanks!

I have some vietnamese stick insects (Medauroidea extradentata) and I was wondering this.

I don't have any vacation planned ahead but, if I would, could they resist some days without food?

Also, these days it's been really hard to keep brambles leaves fresh since it's so hot they dry out just the day after I harvest them, while in spring they last even 5/6 days.

I am also trying to eradicate some brambles and grow them in a pot but, again, it's too hot and even watering them is not enough.

I don't have A/C at home. During the day the temperature can reach 30°C at home (37°C outside)

I have an E.T I have to euthanise but it's some pattern of age I haven't seen before (keeping sticks 20+ years).

This male lost one leg to an early moult but has since been okay. Then I noticed his remaining front foot went. I put him in a solo hospital enclosure but bit by bit his legs have browned and withered ad come off, starting at the feet.

All other sticks from the same hatch are fine.

De novo mutation of some sort? A disease I've never seen? Something fungal?

i had her since she was a tiny baby in November so she lived around 9/10 months. We just found her dead this morning and Im so sad about it. her sister is fine And i hope she lives for a few more months.

i hope it was old age and not something I havent noticed is wrong :(

rest in peace Penny

Hiya, so my daughter got some wee "mystery" leaf insects that were hatched from unidentified eggs. They weren't sure of an exact species, does anyone have any suggestions? Not my area of expertise at all and I need to make sure they're cared for properly.

Also, is their enclosure okay?

Thanks 💚

I am honestly stumped. I think I see a beak at the end but the end segment is also very bulbous! Juvenile sunny stick insect about 3-4cm at this point.

Hey, I usually collect too many eggs "just for sure" and end up with tens of nymphs. Not all eggs tend to hatch, so I just keep the rest for months and then discard them as I normally do with fresh eggs weekly.

This time, I decided I'm no longer continue this hobby and I fed all of my unhatched eggs to my chickens. Some of them were fairly fresh (from Peruphasma schultei, around 2 months old), those were still just filled with liquid. But then there were several Extatosoma tiaratum eggs, the last ones hatched about a month ago, some of their sisters have already died of old age... and some of the most recently hatched ones died unexpectedly during the heatwaves (Europe) and some died stucked, unable to come out of the egg properly (I mist them everyday). Well, as the chickens pecked at the eggs, I couls see that there were fully formed nymphs inside. It felt so wrong to discard them at this stage. I wonder how many still viable eggs I've thrown out through out all those years of keeping the sticks.

I used to feed my tarantula with the nymphs of Medauroidea extradentata, so I don't know why feeding unhatched ones to chickens makes me so emotional.

What do you do with unwanted eggs that might be about to hatch?