The Phasmid Study Group Newsletter No
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The Phasmid Study Group Newsletter No. 121 March 2010 ISSN 0268-3806 Kristien Rob model our new merchandise News, Information & Updates.............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Livestock Wants & Exchange......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Merchandise.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 New member? ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Committee .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Diary Dates.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Prize Winners from AGM ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Articles, Reviews & Submissions ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 The small difference....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Brownies Event.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Stick Insect eaten by Frogmouth.................................................................................................................................................................... 6 AGM & Winter Meeting Report....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Some notes and observations........................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Escape from Sticky tape ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Kubah National Park...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Macleay’s Spectre Extatosoma tiaratum 7 taking camo.flage to an extreme8 ............................................................................................... 11 The Newsletter of The Phasmid St.dy Gro.p News, Information & Updates Livestock Wants & Exchange Please contact Mark 0.shell for a list of availa le species. Details in <The Committee6 section. We hope to ring yo. more in depth information in the next Newsletter. Merchandise The new merchandise is availa le from the <PSG Shop6 link on the we site: http://phasmid7st.dy7gro.p.org. There is a variety of clothing availa le, as well as other merchandise s.ch as a Teddy 0ear. Thanks to 5ristien and ,o for the photo elow, showing the <Golf6 shirts. New member? We would like to introduce you to Kristien and Rob‘s new grandchild, Florence (complete with PSG ear). 2 www.phasmid7st.dy7gro.p.org March 2009 The Newsletter of The Phasmid St.dy Gro.p he Committee CHAIRMAN Judith Marshall Department of Entomology, The Nat.ral History M.se.m, Cromwell ,oad, London, SW7 10D AT:020 7942 1310B 2:020 7942 1331B E:C.marshallDnhm.ac..kE REASURER/MEMBERSHIP SECRE AR) Paul Brock 2 Greenways ,oad, 0rockenh.rst SO42 7,N AE:pa.ld rockD tinternet.comE NEWSLE ER EDI OR & WEBMAS ER Edward Baker 34 ,ycroft, Windsor, 0erkshire SL4 4HG AT:07831 294921B E:e. akerDphysics.orgE PHASMID S UDIES EDI OR Phil Bragg 8 The Lane, Awsworth, Nottinghamshire, NG13 2GP AT:01119 301010E E,HIBI ION & MEE IN- O..ICER Paul Jennings 89 0rackensdale Aven.e, Der y, DE22 4A2 AT:01332 343477E MERCHANIDSER Gavin Ridley LI/ES OC0 COORDINA OR Mark Bushell (assisted by an Bushell Sarah Darwin) LIBRARIAN David Robinson AT:01908 313493B E:li rarianDstickinsect.org..kE SECRE AR) an Bushell and Sarah Darwin Ian A ercrom ie, 5ristien ,a aey, Gavin ,idley, ,o Simeons Diar1 Dates British arantula Societ1 Exhibition4 23rd Ma1 The Coseley School, Henne Drive, Off Ivyho.se Lane, Coseley, West Midlands, WH14 9IW Leeds Entomological .air Sunda14 18 September 11am 7 4pm. 0lack .rn Hall, Commercial Street, ,othwell, Leeds, LS23 0NW Amateur Entomologists9 Societ1 Exhibition4 2 October 2010 Details to follow Prize Winners from A-M Ad.lt livestock: Tracy Dove Ad.lt Photo: ,o Lind J r.nner .p Sarah Darwin ChildrenKs livestock: David 0rad .ry J r.nner .p Michael Tylden7Pattenson ChildrenKs Drawing: David 0rad .ry Ar.nner .p onlyB no 1st pri(eE Derek awards livestock pri(e to Tracy Dove. March 2009 www.phasmid7st.dy7gro.p.org 3 The Newsletter of The Phasmid St.dy Gro.p Articles, Reviews & Submissions The small difference Rob Simoens and 0ristien Rabae1 (Phasma) This item is meant to share small details concerning the reeding of phasmids. Small tips, which can seem a small difference may make a ig difference. 7Acanthomenexen.s polyacanth.s loves 0.ddleia. A.polyacanth.s is a real polyphage, feeding on a variety of plants incl.ding ram le Awhich is not .n.s.alE, ferns, 0.ddleya Aof which we know very few species feed onE and many other plants. AIoachim 0resseelE 7Heteroptheryx dillatata, also a polyphage is est red on a mixt.re of ram le and ivy. Providing a shallow tray with fresh water gives them the opport.nity to drink. This co.nts for a lot of gro.nd dwelling Phasmids like Haaniella and E.rycantha. Also in the wild phasmids were o served drinking water from a river ank. AIlly 5limmert, Arna.d 0a.d.in, Ian A ercrom ieE. 7Eggs which don6t seem to hatch at the expected time may hatch a long period later. They seem to e in Aa sort ofE state of dormancy and can e LactivatedM y spraying water on them to Ldist.r them from their dormancyM AC.rtis LakinE 7Springtails ACollem olaE are ideal to prevent mo.ld in cages and eggs in inc. ation. They need mo.ld and a h.mid environment to s.rvive and reprod.ce. So when the mo.ld is gone they will die. If yo. want a constant c.lt.re of Collem ola yo. have to rear them in special oxes providing high h.midity, eno.gh food and clean from parasites and other insects, which can overgrow the springtail c.lt.re. A,o 5riCnsE 7To provide fresh oak in winter yo. can plant acorns inside the ho.se. 2or normal oak yo. sho.ld p.t the acorns in the refrigerator for a few weeks to sim.late their winter dormancy. After a few weeks fresh oak will e availa le, especially for nymphs who need oak to develop. Acorns of evergreen oak m.st e planted directlyB also after a few weeks they will provide food for those phasmids that need it A5ristien ,a aeyE. 72irst instar nymphs are sometimes diffic.lt to get to eat. If yo. have no information a o.t the nat.ral foodplant and/or environment where the species live then the following proced.re may solve the pro lem: Collect as many plants as possi le, prefera ly evergreen, that are known foodplants for phasmids. Experiences from s.ccesses in the past can p.t limits on yo.r selection so keep p.tting even the most .nexpected foodplants for the nymphs to hopef.lly eat. There still might e a pro lem for the nymph to access its foodplant. In the wild other insects or plant feeders are aro.nd to feed on plants and this damages them. This damage provides perfect access for the first instar nymphs to feed on the ragged leaves. Not only has the hard leaf edge een itten away, also the moist.re coming o.t of the damaged leave is attractive to the nymph and is a first contact with the foodplant the nymph is on. In nat.re normally phasmids lay their eggs in the neigh o.rhood of a s.ita le foodplant, sometimes they gl.e their eggs on the foodplant for the first instar nymph. 0ack to the asics: a nymph crawls o.t of the egg. 2irst of all the nymph has to form the exoskeleton and expiratory system y s.cking air in the tracheae. Also the intestinal system m.st e formed y means of drinking or feeding. If feeding poses a pro lem then drinking water is the only possi ility. Normally this is provided y the condensation in the inc. ator Ain nat.re y the dew which forms at night, and normally nymphs hatch in the eginning of the wet season so that they are provided with fresh foodplantsE. When the nymph is in good condition .t witho.t water, within a short period A273 daysE it is time to c.t the edges of possi le foodplants. The moist.re coming o.t of the foodplant is attractive to the nymphs and hopef.llyNas descri ed efore, what happens in nat.re. AIan A ercrom ie, master in Phasmid iologyE 4 www.phasmid7st.dy7gro.p.org March 2009 The Newsletter of The Phasmid St.dy Gro.p Brownies Event /eronica