The Phasmid Study Group
SEPTEMBER 2004 NEWSLETTER No 99 ISSN 0268-3806
INDI Page Content
2 Diary Dates 3 Editorial 4 PSG AGM 6 Amazing Ecdysis 8 The Newark Show 9 PSG Summer Meeting 12 Record-Breaking Stick 12 BTSShow 12 Eurycnema goliath 13 Trip to South Africa 14 Sandra's Surprise 15 Mantophasmatodea Collectables 15 Quiz 16 Hybridisation of Malacomorpha 17 PSG Culture Survey Results 19 Animal Welfare Bill 19 Quiz Answers 20 Stick Talk 22 The Colour Page 23 The Kettering Show 24 PSG Summer Meeting Competition Results 26 Hopoclonia abercrombiei 28 PSG Merchandise 29 PSG Summer Meeting 30 North American Sticks 31 Wants & Exchanges 32 PSG Committee
Hybridisation of Malacomorpha - see Page 16
Adult Picture Competition Winner - Full story see Page 24 Phyllium giganteum - see Page 22
September 2004 Newsletter 99.1 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Diary Oatcs
Lincoln Exotics (formerly: Invert) Show CANCELLED THIS YEAR Sunday,12 September 2004. Main Hall, North ICesteven Centre, Lincoln. (Just off the A1434, which is off the A46). (Contact Jim Tweadle, 01522 501241, e-mail: [email protected]).
Castle Drogo, AES Bugshow!
Saturday ? October 2004,1 lam^t.30pm, at Castle Drogo, Devon.. (Does anyone know more details?)
AES Exhibition Saturday, 2nd October, 2004, 1 lam. Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road, Kempton Park, Sunbury-on Thames, Middlesex. Contact: AES, PO Box 8774, London, SW7; E-mail: [email protected] Entomorama Sunday, 17th October, Alpheusdal, Berchem. Filip Williotstraat, 22 2600 Berchem 10am to 4pm. (Thanks Kristien Rabaey). Information: Luc Van de Velde, Drie Eikenstraat,132 2650 Edegem. Tel 03/458 44 35 Email: [email protected]
Newark Entomological Show
Sunday, 12lh December, 12am-4pm, Balderton, Newark (off the A1). (Contact for tables or information: Paul Holt, 01636 674723).
Bugs & Beasries Show (date unknown)
Selby, North Yorkshire (Contact Steve Dye, www.bugsnstuff.co.uk). (Does anyone know more details?)
West of England Creepy Crawly Show (dale etc unknown) (Does anyone know more details?)
PSG AGM & Winter Meeting
Saturday, 22 January 2005 - 11.30 am, Palaeontology Demonstration Room, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London
Snrinp F"*r.~ V ' - \fstausi iy Kettering) Show
IU.JO am, Sunday, ? March 2005; Kettering Leisure Village, Kettering, Northants. (Contact Jack Harris, 01455 444 792). British Tarantula Society Exhibition 1 lam, Sunday, ? May 2005. Woodgreen High School, Wednesbury, West Midlands. (2 mins from Junction 9 of the M6). (Contact: Ray Hale 01323 489047).
ASSISTANCE. PLEASE. ELG Spring Fair I try to be of help to our members by Sunday, ? May 2005. Pattishall Village Hall, Partishall, Northants. including in Diary Dates all the shows etc I am aware of. But I am very Newark Entomological Show much in need of members' assistance to give me details of the Sunday, ? June, 2005 (and again ? December, 2005), 12am^>pm, Balderton, Newark (off the Al). shows - dates, venues, etc, please. (Contact for tables or information: Paul Holt, 01636 674723). Also, in many cases I give contact Green Fair details, but I just do not have enough Saturday, ? July 2004. Somerset. (Does anyone know more details?) time to pursue them all for relevant particulars. If any member can assist by getting the missing details, and PSG Summer Meeting passing them to me, it would be much appreciated. Editor. Saturday, ? July 2005 - 11.30 am, Palaeontology Demonstration Room, Natural History Museum, London.
Invertebrate Day at Colchester Zoo (cancelled for 2004) Sunday, TBA August 2005 - Colchester Zoo, Maldon Road, Stanway, Essex. 01206 331292.
D!"~r: died. Tvitfc the organisers that shows are still . & at times shown, before setting out - the PSG cannot be responsible for a wasted journey.
If you attend these or other shows, please send in a review for the Newsletter.
If you are aware of any additional shows involving phasmids, or other insects, spiders, etc, however big or small the show, please pass the details on to the editor.
The Phasmid Study Group is invited to exhibit at some shows. If you would like to help run our stand, please contact the member named, or Paul Jennings, our Exhibitions and Meeting Officer: 89 Brackensdale Avenue, Derby, DE22 4AF, Tel: 01332 343477.
REQUEST FOR ARTICLES, ETC, FOR THE PSG NEWSLETTER
Please send me your articles, reviews on shows and meetings, wants & exchanges, drawings, photos, phasmid problems, answers to problems, crosswords, quizzes, puzzles, comments, web site details, etc, etc. Providers of such submissions are likely to receive a full colour Newsletter! My details are at the back of each Newsletter. Also send me your ideas or comments on the Newsletters. Many thanks, Editor.
September 2004 Newsletter 99.2 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Welcome to the September PSG Newsletter. It is a special double-issue edition containing photos, articles, etc, as usual generously provided by our membership. I've been amazed at the diversity and quality of the articles and photos, there absolutely must be something there for everyone. There are lots of reviews on shows too, which is really great, as lots of members have said how much they enjoy reading these.
MIKE'S COMPUTER. Now for an apology for the lack of a proper June Newsletter. You cannot imagine the frustration when you suddenly lose the whole of your computer's hard drive; I lost all my software, letters, templates, records, and the near-completed June Newsletter! Not my fault, I assure you, but I still have the feeling that I have let down the membership of the PSG. Computers can be great when they are working OK - but they can cause major complications I'S^t^M^'S when they decide to do otherwise!
I have struggled very hard to ensure all the contributions to the June & September issues have been included, as intended, into this September issue. But I am very much aware that between the lost hard drive, and confusion between the found e-mails etc that I have managed to retrieve, I could well have made mistakes. I therefore apologise in advance if I have caused any inconvenience with out-of-date, incomplete, or missed information. I will be starting from scratch with the December Newsletter, so if you re-send to me any missed contributions, or corrections to items I've included, I will gladly include them in the December edition.
DECEMBER NEWSLETTER. The December PSG Newsletter will be issue No.100. What a
fantastic landmark! Furthermore, the January PSG AGM marks an amazing 25th Anniversary of the PSG. Your committee have a few ideas on how to make these milestones special. However, if you have your own ideas please let us know (and the sooner, the better please, as we will have to start making plans shortly).
PSG AGM & WINTER MEETING. There will of course be full details of this in the December PSG Newsletter.
And, as it says in Diary Dates, it will be on Saturday, 22nd January, 2005. Put this date in your diaries and keep it clear - we plan to make it a very special meeting. Also please note we are back to the newly- refurbished Palaeontology Demonstration Room, very nice. If you will not be attending this or our Summer Meeting, please let us know if it is because of a reason we can look into (eg date, location, agenda, etc). And if you say you would like another location tried, try to suggest a place - but please bear in mind our finite funds. (It has been pointed out to me that overseas members might not be able to travel long distances, though we do in fact get some overseas members travelling to England just for the PSG Meeting, and in many cases they stay with other PSG members). I confess now that I cannot attend the AGM Meeting, due to an unfortunate clash of dates. (You can't imagine how much I will kick myself for missing such a special day for the PSG). I hope, therefore, that members will again take photos and write articles on the event, so I can still record it for posterity in the March PSG Newsletter.
The Colour Page is for our special pictures of sticks, to share with other members and I've had some excellent pictures sent to me for this purpose. For example, see Szymon's fantastic pictures on page 22 I would very much like to have more pictures sent to me for this purpose. So please get snapping with your cameras, and send me your photos and the more colourful the better.
THE PSG WEBSITE, www.stickinsect.org.uk. Our website has won the Butterfly Site award for having a family friendly website. So congratulations to Paul Taylor our Webmaster. If you have not been to our official PSG website, it is well worth a look. It includes membership details, a species list, articles, a forum, lots of links, and details on sending sticks abroad. If you have any comments on the site, then please contact Paul.
Regards to all IN/I IKE SMITH
PS Sarah, those 3 GAL snails you gave me at the PSG Summer Meeting have just laid loads of eggs. September 2004 Newsletter 99.3 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk The Phasmid Study Group 2004 AGM, 17th January 2004 by Sally Ewen
I have always had a brilliant time at PSG meetings, and this one was no exception. For those members who haven't yet attended a meeting, believe me when I say that it really is a day well spent, with the opportunity to meet like- minded people, to mingle with the experts, and of course, to introduce lots of new species to your collection.
The 2004 AGM was held on a typically wet and windy day in January. With this is consideration the turnout wasn't too bad, with maybe 40 to 50 people attending.
This particular meeting promised the first ever PSG competition, a new idea organised by Cameron, and it was judged by Allan Harman. There were in fact two competitions - one for best livestock, the other for best aicture/ photograph.
Considering that this was a first for either of the competitions, there were a fair number of entries, all of a high standard. Cameron had written an article all about these competitions in the June News Sheet, so I shan't go into too much detail here.
The livestock competition was won with an adult female Phyllium celebicum by Marion Kim, and second place was an intriguing species new to culture, Parectatosoma mocquerysi, which was entered by Kristien Rabey.
The picture/ photograph competition was actually won by myself, with a portrait photograph of Heteropteryx dilatata. In second place was a beautiful watercolour of Extatosoma tiaratum, painted by Robert Bradburne, who also created one of the most fascinating competition entries - a set of four realistic-looking origami phasmids rsgp (see June News Sheet for photo).
Cameron announced another competition for this summer's meeting, and he hoped that there would be many more entries for this, and future competitions. So, if you feel creative or if you want to show off your favourite specimen, don't hesitate to put forward an entry. And the best thing about the competitions was that the winners could opt to receive an item of their choice from the livestock table - for my prize I decided upon a tub full of Eurycnema goliath nymphs.
For many, the livestock distribution is the highlight of a PSG meeting. As usual, there were some fantastic species being given away. I personally came away with Diapherodes gigantea, Pseudodiacantha macklottii, various Lonchodes spp, Phyllium celebicum and Aplopus jamaicensis, as well as tens of boxes of 144s, September 2004 Newsletter 99.4 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Neohirasea maerens and Gratidia spp. There were also a seemingly unlimited number of Haaniella and Heteropteryx nymphs, so nobody left empty-handed.
The talks are always another highlight of the meetings. This year's talk - on cage construction - was given by Cameron, who really is a very entertaining and captivating speaker. For years I have been using either expensive shop-bought cages or fish tanks that are turned on end, with a makeshift door clumsily attached. However, Cameron explained how to make cages (from a combination of mesh, Perspex and wood) that look professional and long-lasting. He explained that they can be made to any specification, thus enabling one to take into consideration the size and humidity requirements of the species concerned. I have since been inspired to have a go at constructing such cages myself, and I have to say that it really is as simple to make as Cameron makes it seem!
There was also a lively Question and Answer session. These have recently become popular at the PSG meetings, and I found this one particularly interesting since it focussed mainly on unexpected deaths of sticks after their final moult, which is something that I have experienced with my own phasmid collection. Through discussion it was established that females of Heteropteryx dilatata and Phasma gigas are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon and, although no definite conclusions were reached, various possible causes were suggested including: incomplete moulting (especially around the mouthparts or the spiracles); the possible need for less
humid conditions in adulthood (phasmids in the wild have been observed to ascend to higher canopies at this stage); different nutritional needs of adult females in order that they have the energy to produce ova; the impacts of inbreeding. It was agreed that sticks should have access to a variety of food plants that adults would appreciate an environment less humid than that of the nymphs and that cross-breeding should be encourage where possible.
As usual the day didn't seem quite long enough. It was soon time to leave and, after saying our good byes, we all exited the Natural History Museum ready to brave the tubes and trains carrying armfuls of six-legged creepy crawlies!
I am much indebted to Sally for undertaking this article for me. I was unable to make the PSG Winter Meeting & AGM, but having such an excellent record of it is the next best thing. All the pictures are Sally's too. If anyone else attends a PSG meeting, or other meeting or show involving stick insects, please send me an article, as short or long as you like, with or without pictures. Or even, just send me pictures. Many thanks, Editor.
September 2004 Newsletter 99.5 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Amazing EcdySiS by Sarah L Houghton
Anyone who has kept stick insects, tarantulas, butterflies or a number of other arthropods must at one time have witnessed the animal growing through one, if not several periods of ecdysis, or moulting their skin so that the animal can grow. Ecdysis is truly amazing - anyone that has watched the caterpillar transform into a chrysalis then a beautiful butterfly can only wonder at this miracle of nature.
An insect's skin (or exoskeleton) is made of a substance called chitin. Although chitin is watertight, strong, light, extremely rigid and able to form in more or less any shape imaginable, it cannot stretch as the animal grows. Therefore the animal has no choice but to moult in order to mature to adulthood.
Stick insects, grasshoppers, crickets and mantids all go through a process called hemimetabolous (or incomplete) metamorphosis, where the young insect (or nymph) looks very similar to the adult insect, and there is very little change in form. The insect hatches from its egg, and looks like a tiny scaled down version of the adult insect minus the wings and functional sexual organs. As the insect grows, it moults, shedding its skin a number of times during its life Adult female Eurycnema goliath before finally becoming an adult and gaining any wings the species with moulted skin to left might have, and reaching sexual maturity. Picture courtesy of Sally Ewen There is a second process of insect growth called holometabolous (or complete) metamorphosis, where the insect goes from egg to larva to pupa to adult insect (e.g. beetles, butterflies and moths). However, in the following item I will concentrate on the process of hemimetabolous metamorphosis in stick insects, as this is the animal we all have in common!
The Moulting Process
A few hours or even days before moulting, the insect will stop eating. It will then find a sheltered place safe from predators, as during and after moulting the insect is extremely vulnerable because the insects' skin does not harden straight away. The insect will hang upside-down on a suitable surface, such as a twig or the lid or side of its tank, and will expand its body by muscular action, and also by swallowing large quantities if air. The old skin will then split open along a predetermined seam down the length of the thorax. The insect then gradually extracts itself from the old skin, with the top of the thorax emerging first, then the head, abdomen, antennae and legs. It will then hang by the old skin and wait for its new skin to harden and pigments to develop. This process can take several hours, depending on the species of insect. If entering its final moult and if wings are present in the species, the insect will pump the shrivelled wings full of blood until they have grown to their full size and shape. If the insect is left undisturbed, it may eat the old skin Unidentified stick insect - to replace any nutrients it might have lost, and to hide any evidence of Baculum sp? - shedding its recent moult from nearby predators. its skin Insects can grow up to three times their original size after a moult. The Picture courtesy ofRhodri Howell new skin expands rapidly before hardening to contain the growing insects' internal organs.
Ecdysis close up
If you have an insect that has recently moulted and the skin has been left more or less complete, you can take the skin and look at it closely - you may want to use a microscope for even more detailed viewing! Even with the naked eye you may see small white 'threads' that are actually the spiracles that lead from the outside of the insects body to the inside, transporting air to the insects internal organs. The eyes are complete, and also the hooks on the feet that give insect so much gripping power. I always find it utterly incredible that the insect can complete a moult with both itself and the old skin in one piece!
September 2004 Newsletter 99.6 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Problems With Ecdysis
Moulting does have its hazards. Insects are particularly vulnerable during ecdysis; whilst undergoing a moult the insect cannot run away from predators, and present themselves as an easy meal, and just after the moult the insects skin is very soft, making self-defence and retreat difficult without sustaining any injuries.
In captivity, insects that are kept in crowded conditions can become damaged or knocked from their perch by their cage mates. Insects kept in cages that are not tall enough, have no suitable high perches, or with too many food plants or too much cage decor may not have the necessary height and room to moult properly, and insects kept in conditions where the humidity is too low (species of Heteropteryginae and Eurycanthinae need a particularly high humidity) can become stuck in their old skins, which then harden on them and cause the insect to lose legs or antennae, or at worst their lives, as they are so deformed after the moult that they cannot survive.
Successful Ecdysis
By providing your insects with suitable conditions, you can help your stick insects grow from nymph to adult with as few problems as possible. Provide your insects with as much room as possible. Make sure they have suitable places for them to cling to as they moult - provide a stick in the cage, or add netting to the roof. Make sure the cage is at least 2 1/2-3 times the height of the adult insect, or move the nymphs into a bigger tank as they grow. Provide the necessary humidity for insects that come from humid climates - keep these insects in an enclosed cage, or mist them regularly with water.
Ecdysis Emergencies
Here are a few tips that have helped me with stick insect that have had problems going through ecdysis.
Lost legs - Sometimes no matter how careful you are, a stick insect will lose a leg or two during its moult. This could be because of the reasons noted below, or possibly the insect was startled whilst withdrawing its leg from the old skin, thinking a predator had it, and discarded its leg as a defence mechanism. If the insect has not yet reached adulthood, these lost limbs will regenerate themselves over the next few moults, but adult insects can manage quite well with a few legs missing.
Stick insect fallen from perch during moult - Pick the insect up by the front legs on the old skin and try to 'hook' the legs back onto a food plant, making sure the insect has plenty of room to finish its moult unhindered - this is a lot easier if the insect has nearly completed its moult. If hanging the insect by any dead skin is impossibly, or if the old skin has come away, take a needle and thread and carefully sew into a piece of the old skin, ensuring that the insect is hanging the correct way and that you do not prick the insect or damage its soft vulnerable new skin. You should only need for the cotton to go through once, but if it is a heavy insect then go through twice, in a different place each time. Take the two ends of the cotton and tie them securely to a suitable perch, again making sure the insect has plenty of room to finish its moult unhindered. This method is tricky, but worth the effort for an insect that may otherwise have died. Adult female Eurycnema goliath, deformed due to a bad moult Stick insect still has pieces of old skin adhering to its Picture courtesy of Sally Ewen body - If there is only a small piece of old skin, and/or the insect is unhampered by any old skin still on it, then it is best to just leave the insect alone. However if the insect cannot feed, walk or if any future moults may be affected, take the insect and place it into an enclosed container with some damp tissue on the floor. Leave it for about an hour or so. If the insect hasn't rid itself of the old skin by this time and isn't in too much distress, place a leaf of the food plant in with the insect and leave overnight. If the insect has been left for an hour and does seem distressed, then using a pair of tweezers, gently and carefully try and pull off the old skin. Make sure the area is kept damp by using a cotton bud soaked in water to wipe the old skin down at regular intervals. DO NOT pull too hard! You will know if the old skin is coming away by the resistance on the tweezers. If the skin does not come away easily, put the insect back in the enclosed container with a high humidity and try again later. September 2004 Newsletter 99.7 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk You can also use the 'pin method', where you gently tease away the dead skin with a pin or needle. An extremely steady hand is needed for this, and you must be careful not to poke the insect with a sharp object, as the insect could bleed to death.
Scissors can be used to carefully cut away some dead skin. Be careful not to cut the actual insect though!
Accidents will inevitably happen, but with care the incidence with which they occur can be reduced.
Acknowledgments: Sally Ewen and Rhodri Howell for their brilliant photographs 'Beginners Guide to Entomology' - Rick Imes The Balderton (Newark) Show by Richard Gartside (non-member, stick apprentice to Joy Gartside)
Paul Holt held only his second invert show on 13th June at Balderton, Newark. It was a very nice, sunny day (always good, as people are more likely to be out). It was only a "half-day" show running from 12pm to 4pm.
Unfortunately attendance was down as it was taking place the same weekend as the Newark on Water festival and many people who might otherwise have been tempted to pay the invert show a visit were otherwise distracted.
The PSG stand was jointly tended by Joy Gartside and Paul Taylor who both had stands of their own, and attracted some interest, although Joy's toys once again were a source of great fascination for all, and especially the younger crowd. Joy had a reduced number of insects on display this time, but still was rushed off her feet (wheels?) with the attention. Many of the children seemingly remembering us from our previous visits to Lincoln and Newark, and came asking to be able to hold insects. With Joy being swamped in children, most of the activity around JoyBunnys Art Designs was handled by Richard who saw a steady trade in Joy's special hand-made toys. The spiders once again proving to be a great draw for both parents and children.
The PSG stand again benefited from the generosity of members, and members of the public were able to experience a wide range of species of stick insects. Several schools and organisations took some back with them to spread the word and educate people about the world of stick insects. Joy was displaying some Eurycantha calcarata, (affectionately known as "the uglies" to me), and, as ever, there were cries of disbelief that these monsters could be possibly related to the dainty Indians we also had.
Once again, the show seemed to be winding down before very long, and an enjoyable day had been had by Joy and Richard.
We look forward to being able to welcome visitors from the PSG to the next
Newark Show on December 12th.
Richard, you are a star! Not only an excellent report on the show, but pictures of your happy customers too. It is much appreciated that a non-PSG member (albeit Joy's husband) has been so kind as to assist in running the PSG stall, and to write a report on the show. I liked the first Newark Show - not least because I first met Richard and Joy there. I had to miss this one (as it clashed with a rat show I wanted to go to). So I was very pleased when Joy, Richard, and Paul Taylor agreed to cover the PSG stand for me. But I plan to man the PSG stand in December, and it is an excellent show.
So, if anyone is able to assist with the Newark stand, please let me know. Editor.
September 2004 Newsletter 99.8 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk The PSG Summer Meeting, 17tn June 2004 - by Mike Smith
What a day! Members travelling from all over the place to make the meeting, and during the day we had rain in the morning, sun in the afternoon, and thunderstorms in between. Typical English summer, really! But, so far as I am aware, the roads and public transport were running okay. I went in by train most of the way, for a change (instead of by car much of the way). It was a bit quicker, but much more expensive.
I arrived around 10.30am, had a quick look round the museum (which had had a bit of a face-lift since my last visit, I noticed), then I went on to the meeting room. It was still early, but quite a few members were already there, including Tony James (founder member of the PSG) who was looking at some photos on a laptop computer. He kindly gave me a showing of them, there were sticks, moths, and spiders, all of which he met on a recent trip, quite interesting, thanks Tony.
1 then helped Cameron set up the tables for the competition entries. I spoke with a few members, and then it was time for our committee meeting. There were not many issues we needed to cover. We noted that the December PSG Newsletter will be No 100 and that, at the Winter Meeting 2005, the PSG will be 25 years old. We discussed possible ideas to make these occasions special, all of which will be revealed later. We also wondered why there were so few members at the meeting (at the time, around 12 noon, there were only about 20 there). Eventually, by around 1pm, we had about 45 members and guests, but there was still room for far more. Why so few? Is it a bad day, a bad month, a bad location; is the content of the meeting wrong? This is YOUR group, if you have views on this, please let us know.
We then had the "Questions to the experts". Which began, in fact, with some statements. Firstly, Allan Harman said there were few problems keeping cultures going of the more impressive stick species, especially the oriental species.
However, he pointed out, some other stick species were becoming extinct in the wild, and it was a goal of the PSG to ensure cultures were kept going, even of the "less exciting" species. He wondered if a system could be set up, whereby volunteer members could be responsible for keeping in culture one or more of the "less impressive" species, alongside their normal species. There was some discussion on this, and the idea was taken away for options to be considered. If you have thoughts on this, please let us know.
I chirped up next. I held up a list that Janine (our Livestock Co-ordinator) had just given to me, which summarised the results of the culture list survey. (Full details of which are elsewhere in this Newsletter). I pointed out that we had had replies from 81 members which, from past experience, was quite a fantastic response. Also, that there appeared to be very few species not currently in culture somewhere - which Allan was quite pleased to hear. (But of course, we cannot afford to be complacent about this. Species come and go in fads, and cultures die out from in-breeding or for no obvious reason. And the list of cultures is out of date the day after it is issued - it is just a snapshot in time). September 2004 Newsletter 99.9 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Roger Bradburne then introduced the "Proposals for Improving the Effectiveness of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act". A consultative document concerning possible changes to the licensing laws [in the UK] for keeping scorpions, spiders, snakes, etc (which many of our members keep). If anyone wants to see these proposals, and they have only until 20th September 2004 to appeal against them; for details go to the website: www,defra.gov.uk\corporate\consult\dwwa- two\index\htm. Incidentally, Roger was asked to check if the new rules would affect PSG, eg our stands at shows giving away sticks to say children (see his article elsewhere in this Newsletter).
Then a member showed a photo of a stick he wanted identified, which Paul and Ian did (though I'm not sure what it was now). The next question was on museums keeping type species. There was a lot of discussion on either breeding newly found species, or killing them for putting in a museum as a type species, with no camp coming out on top. Ian was asked how he stored the species he caught in the wild. He said he put their front two pairs of legs forward, the back pair of legs back, and rolled them up in paper which was then stapled at each end. Each night he would let the stick free, and say put it on a branch hanging over the bath, and each morning he would wrap it up again.
Allan Harman was asked how he set sticks. It varied. The bigger ones he would set with a pin, then remove the insides and replace it with cotton wool and borax powder. The smaller ones he just set. He would then use gentle heat to dry them. An oven could be used, or a hot car, or hot conservatory. But they should be covered with paper from direct sunlight to prevent colours fading. Humid heat did not work. Alternatively, they could be left in a freezer for 6 months, which would also dry them.
Ian was asked if there were twenty or more Eurycantha species. Ian reckoned there were lots of this species around, but probably less than twenty.
Then it was lunch break time, and to help ensure we finished the day on time, we had a short lunch break of around half- hour. Everyone suddenly produced all sorts of sandwiches, pies, crisps, cakes, etc. It is during this sort of time that we can have something to eat and drink, look at the competition entries, look at the livestock exchange items, say "Hi" to old friends, catch up with gossip, exchange paperwork, buy merchandise, look round the museum, go to the loo, etc, etc. As you can imagine, there aren't enough hours in a day to cram it all in, let alone in a short lunch break, so I just fitted in as much as I could. Paul Brock had his books for sale on special offer. (Phil Bragg arrived late without his books, and Ron Baxter and his books did not make it to the meeting -1 hope no-one was too disappointed).
Ian was well on form when he gave his talk on "Collecting Phasmids in South East Asia" (mainly Borneo and Malaysia, I believe). As we anticipated, some slides could not be seen well because the room was in brightish daylight, but it was a choice of this or no slides - and without the slides there would be no talk. Ian showed some fantastic slides, and with most there was an interesting, and often very amusing, story. Like the footpath to be negotiated one night in complete darkness, next to a river, with only a single handrail as a guide - where the handrail was covered with sticks, deadly spiders, and a cobra! (We are keen to find other speakers for future meetings, on any subject to do with sticks, with or without slides. If you think you can help, please contact us).
Then it was time for the competition results. (Cameron has a report on the competition elsewhere in this Newsletter). I was in two minds about this; on the one hand there were only September 2004 Newsletter 99.10 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk 16 entries in total, only two from juniors, which I found to be a bit disappointing (at the last meeting there were around 40 entries, many from juniors). On the other hand, the quality of the entries was fantastic, and attracted a lot of attention from the members throughout the day. I was also impressed with the way Cameron had organised it, he seemed to have thought of everything, and it went like clockwork. I had entered in the livestock competition myself, and 1 appreciate the inconvenience of bringing in a cage, with the livestock entry in it, on train and tube. But you get a warm feeling when you see members looking at your livestock with admiration, and the winner's prize and framed certificate are something really worthwhile, which I will try harder for next time (1 came nowhere this time....). I really recommend everyone who goes to the meeting to consider bringing in an entry for the competition - which is free!
Many thanks to Cameron and Allan Harman for the unenviable task of judging. Adult livestock: winner Robert Bradburne {Phenacephorus cornucervi), second Stephen Lee Thomas {Heteropteryx dilatata). Junior livestock: winner Rowena Tylden-Pattenson {Eurycnema goliath) [no other entries]. Adult picture: winner Mike Strick {Eurycantha calcaratd), second Sally Ewen {Eurycnema goliath). Junior picture: Cameron Strick {Eurycantha calcarata), [no other entries]. Congratulations to the winners, and many thanks to everyone else who took part.
The day ended with the ever popular livestock exchange. As usual members had been extremely generous in taking the time and trouble to box up, label, and take to the meeting, spare livestock and ova to be handed out for free to other members. You never know what will be on the table. Sometimes there is a glut of Eurycantha, Pinkwings, and Indians. But this time I don't recall seeing any of those. Of what there was, many were in high supply, eg there were loads of AAs and 144s. Ian did his usual excellent job of handing then out as fairly as possible. At the end, there were the usual cries of "My husbanaVwife/mother/father/boyfriend/girlfriend will kill me for taking all this lot home". But sadly, and very unusually, there were still lots of boxes of livestock left at the end. Everyone already had large bagfuls of boxed critters. Even two people (I'll not name) who normally take nothing home, unusually left with livestock. As did many others, I had emptied boxes into boxes, and crammed them into my large holdall bag, but still had to carry some in a separate carrier bag, though a couple of the containers were quite big, which is part of the problem. If we'd had cars, then no problem, we'd just shove it all in the boot. But virtually all of us had to travel home on crowded trains and buses. It seems a shame that so many members who are seeking livestock could not be there to get some of the spares. Anyway, somehow, all the livestock eventually disappeared. I think Janine, our Livestock Co- ordinator, took much of what was left, but still some members had the unique and depressing task of taking their own livestock back home again. (Sorry, folks).
My new stock included ETs, two varieties of poison sprayers, AAs, some cockroaches - and some snails. (I really have been putting off keeping snails, but I was asked so nicely, by "someone" who did not want to take them home again, how could I refuse? Anyway, I only had three - and I'm now becoming attached to them). I spent much of the following day, Sunday, between the rain, rearranging my animal shed, and rehousing, feeding, labelling, etc. I am delighted with my new acquisitions, and I had a great day out. I only wish it could have lasted longer... I recommend all our members, if at all possible, to attend at least one of these meetings; you will be assured of a great day out. And everyone wore a name badge - great, for once I knew who EVERYONE was! Now for a special thank you I am much indebted to Mike Strick for the photos — thanks a million, Mike! September 2004 Newsletter 99.11 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Stick Insect Grows To New Lengths A Malaysian giant stick insect may have set a new British record, according to London Zoo keepers.
Story from BBC NEWS: Hatched from a 4mm egg in April, Phoebe now measures 45cm long. A spokeswoman for the central London Zoo said their examples were thought to be the only ones in the UK and the zoo had not seen any in 20 years.
Phoebe is the oldest and longest of 12 insects hatched from 60 eggs brought over from Rotterdam Zoo last year in the hope of starting a breeding group. She is a pale brown female member of the species whose natural habitat is in the forests of South-East Asia.
Phoebaeticus serratipes. They would normally feed on tropical foliage but in captivity exist on a diet of bramble and oak leaves. Phoebe's name comes from the Latin term for the species, zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBAPhoebaeticus serratipes. Although they are not currently endangered, rate of deforestation is a concern for the future populations of these insects.
The longest adult female specimen ever recorded, spotted in the forests of Malaysia, measured 55cm in length with a body of 28cm.
I am indebted to Natalie Ford for drawing my attention to this article on the BBC website.
BTS Show — 16th May 2004 By Mike Smith
Unfortunately, my article and photos of this British Tarantula Society event disappeared when my computer crashed. And no other member has sent Th ongest adult female ever in anything on the show - though I met quite a few members there. In fact recorded measured 55cm in length there were over 800 visitors to the show - a record for the event.
There were loads of stalls there, as usual, and although it was a bit crowded, there was no problem finding and buying anything you wanted. I was with my daughter and her friend who wanted a Red Knee. For some reason they were quite expensive this year. But there were lots of sticks, and other critters there, as usual.
I entered a Curly Haired in the livestock competition - but lost again! The lecture by Andrew Smith was quite good, but he did start late and overran quite a bit, and time was not on our side. In fact the canteen was closed and replaced by a burger van - by the time I got to it there was virtually nothing left. But the BTS remains a very important show in my calendar, and I recommend you go to it next year if at all possible.
Eurycnema goliath PSG 14 by Alan Hendry
Here is my experience of keeping Eurycnema goliath PSG 14, back at the PSG meeting in July in 2003 I took some ova home with me to try. Although I knew it could be some time before hatching and with the knowledge that they are not the easiest species to keep I felt optimistic. I was pleasantly surprised when within 10 days my first nymph hatched, so my ova must have been a relatively old batch which is pretty lucky. Of all the nymphs that hatched over a three month period most were males, about 80%. I was able to swap some for females at the next meeting. Almost all the nymphs survived to adulthood and were offered Eucalyptus as there is a good supply of trees locally that are always in need of some nocturnal pruning! I also offered my nymphs and adults Callistemon (bottlebrush) and Mimosa although Mimosa when in flower will leave a lot of mess, as they drop their flowers quite quickly upon placing in the cage. The nymphs ate both other plants, but had a slight preference for bottlebrush when both alternatives were offered. I would think that when the sticks hatch in their native Oz, the nymphs will climb up the nearest plant and not just gum trees so it make sense for other plants to be on the menu. I would imagine there will be more food plants available for this species as more PSG members keep this species in culture. From hatching to adult hood I have kept this culture in a large wooden mesh sided enclosure and never sprayed them. The only water they have is when I washed their fresh food plant prior to placing in their cage. I have not lost any sticks through shedding problems till two of my freshly moulted males fell foul of the recently introduced Ets from the recent PSG meeting as the Ets tend to climb on the shedding goliathsl (and they do have lots of space). I will move the Ets to a separate cage when 1 next change their food plants. Prior to introducing the Ets my goliaths have been so laid back and shown no defensive behaviour or aggression. Now the females will occasionally flash their wings and make that hissing sound similar to JNs which must mean that they are under stress from the introduced Ets, though only temporarily I hasten to add.
September 2004 Newsletter 99.12 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk A TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA 2004 By Paul D. Brock
As part of my on-going research on Southern African phasmids, and in possession of all-important collecting permits from the Mpumalanga Parks Board and Kruger National Park (KNP) authorities, I visited South Africa for 10 nights, arriving 8 February.
There are many dangerous animals roaming around in KNP. It is, of course, necessary to stay in one's vehicle, except at designated areas, which limits collecting opportunities. I therefore opted to stay the first three nights in the residential area of Marloth Park, just outside KNP. Here I could walk with the animals - giraffe, zebra, baboons and a family of warthogs visited our cottage garden! An electrified fence is supposed to keep Marloth Park lion- free, but some occasionally manage to jump over from the adjoining KNP, although the hippos and crocodiles are kept in. There are also plenty of insects, despite the grass being practically non-existent, as a result of a drought and too many browsing animals. I therefore did not expect to find grass- feeding phasmids sometimes associated with Southern Africa. During evening walks near the cottage, I systematically searched bush vegetation, typically Acacia spp. and other mainly smaller bushes. On the second night only, three Clonaria natalis nymphs were spotted on low-growing legumes, and an adult female on Acacia, which promptly started gluing its cigar-shaped eggs to the sides of the container.
I searched high up on Acacia trees and bushes for any sign of giant stick insects, such as Bactrododema species. My research indicates that these winged species are sometimes found at light, but are likely to spend much time high up in trees, where eggs are glued to vegetation, hence nymphs are probably also well out of reach (see reference below). At Skukuza, the main bush camp in KNP, I found a giant adult male of Bactrododema tiaratum at light (Fig. 1) (males 109-133mm, females variable in length, 125-185mm, but usually c. 160mm). Evening searching of vegetation was not successful, and no phasmids were found at another rest camp, Pretoriuskop. Sightings of game animals compensated for this. I did find several Clonaria natalis (Fig. 2 - female), a slender straw-like insect on Acacia, in Badplaas and Barberton Fig. 1, (Mpumalanga province), but not Bactrododema tiaratum other species I had hoped to find. The only adult male natalis was found just before torrential rain at Badplaas. Two adult females were spotted on daytime walks. On reflection, 10 nights is not long enough and most places have had a drought, adversely affecting insect life. There was 50mm rain overnight at Barberton one night - it is not easy to sleep in a cottage with a tin roof! However, the rains had only started 3 weeks earlier, much later than normal. The KNP had obviously had some rain with high grass and green vegetation and there were a reasonable number and variety of insects at light. I am reliably informed that the best time of the year for insects in KNP is usually December, but in December 2003 hardly any insects appeared at lights.
At the time of writing (May 2004), I have natalis in culture on Acacia. One of my new non-entomologist contacts in South Africa sent me pictures of a large stick insect found in his garden near KNP - the female of a new Bactrododema species I am describing (in press). I was lucky to see pictures; after having its picture taken, the 20cm stick insect was promptly eaten by a Yellow-Billed Hornbill!
Brock, Paul D. (in press). Taxonomic notes on giant southern African stick insects (Phasmida); including the description of a new Bactrododema tiaratum species. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 41: x. - wings open.
September 2004 Newsletter 99.13 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Sandra's Surprise zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBAby Rev Joy Gartside (A fairy story for children aged 2 to 92)
Sandra stick looked out of the window of her small cosy house in the bramble bush. It looked really cold out there tonight she thought, the stars were showing through wispy clouds and the night was dark despite the full moon shining on her small garden. Sandra glanced down from her bedroom window and saw that the wind was blowing the leaves in her Eucalyptus tree very hard. She sighed and turned to her bedroom where her snug bed waited for her to climb into and go to sleep. Once Sandra got into bed she reflected that the days were now shorter than they had been all summer and the nights were getting colder. Soon she would not be able to go out for the first time since she was a hatchling.
Tomorrow was her six-month hatch day and Sandra had been going to a bug dance with her friends Jay the butterfly and Molly the mantis, but if it was too cold they couldn't go. Sandra settled down in her warm bed and sadly watched the clouds scurry past her window until she fell asleep.
The next morning came cold and crisp, Sandra opened her door and a cloud of leaves blew in on the breeze, she shivered and felt sad again. She heard a cry above her and looked up to see Sonia sparrow flying overhead "Good morning Sandra" Sonia chirped "Happy hatchday" Sandra smiled up at her friend "Thank you" she called back as Sonia flew away. Sandra set to sweeping up the leaves that were in her doorway. Then when she had finished sweeping the lovely orange and brown leaves she slipped outside to get her bramble for the day's food. On the way she met Pete snail; he greeted her and then mentioned she had better get indoors where it was warm. Sandra agreed with him gathered her breakfast and hurried back to her warm fire.
The day passed and Sandra was feeling sadder and sadder, apart from Pete and Sonia she had seen none of her friends that day a tear slipped down her face. "What a horrible hatchday this has been" she thought as the evening drew in. Sandra sat in her comfy chair in front of her fire and soon she fell asleep. Suddenly a sound came like a knock on the door; it woke her up with a start. "What could be happening on this cold night" she wondered. Stiffly, she got up from her chair and went to the door but when she opened it there was no one there. Sandra was puzzled, then she heard the sound again, it was coming from her cellar! Bravely she gathered her courage and went down the stairs at the bottom she found a hole and it wasn't empty. With a start she realised a head was showing in it "Hello!" boomed Kevin the mole, "I was thinking I had dug my tunnel in the wrong direction sorry if I scared you" Sandra smiled wanly at him.
"Never mind" he went on briskly "follow me not a moment to lose you know." Sandra who was used to Kevin's abruptness shrugged and went down the tunnel after him. It was dark and smelled musty; Sandra was a little scared but, as she toiled behind the mole, she realised it must be a short tunnel because she could see a light after not very long. Sandra emerged blinking into a bustle of noise and colour, as she got used to the light and could see more she recognised her friend Molly mantis's house, Sandra could now see it was decorated with pretty branches and the last of the season's flowers. She further saw the room was packed with creatures, Molly was there, and Jay. even Pete had a damp corner to sit in and they were all singing. What was it? Then Sandra knew "HAPPY HATCHDAY, HAPPY HAPPY HATCHDAY DEAR SANDRA".
Tears sprang to her eyes as Molly came and gave her a big hug. You couldn't come to us she explained so we got Kevin to dig a tunnel to your house so you could stay warm and still celebrate your hatchday with all of us. Sandra looked around and saw what good friends she had, doing all this in secret for her. And the next thing she knew she was drawn near to the fire to celebrate her hatchday with her friends.
STAR WARS - THE PHASM/D MENACE
September 2004 Newsletter 99.14 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk By Paul D. Brock
On my trips to South Africa in 2003 and 2004, I obtained mantophasmatodea collectables, so one could say this is a follow-up to my article 'Phasmid collectables' Hi (PSG Newsletter No. 93, Dec. 2002). -'ft Firstly, and not easy to Namibia Namibia; Namibia E NT O '.,.(>1(M .!(. AI SOCI ETy obtain, is the N$20.00 OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
Figure 1. Mantophasmid stamp in a 'Recent 14- ENTOMOLOGICAL CONGRESS Biological Discoveries' series issued in Namibia in 2003 (Fig. 1). The insects feature in the Entomological Society of South Africa 14th Entomological Congress literature (Fig. 2), where a mantophasmid bead insect (Fig. 3) was presented to each participant. This mass produced order differs from prototypes initially commissioned. A small clear plastic box containing a different craft item (Fig. 4) also includes notes on the order. They are not yet popular enough to be found in craft shops, although mantids 6-0 IUty idai made of tin or metal are PRETORIA, .SOITl H AFRICA SECOND iflNAU CIRCULAR readily available.
It is also good to see the real thing, ex. Namibia ^».<4; w*X'*t If-jii* ''<:- 5Sm»iJiv.l v:.'.; . -i n-=A Jri t:K_».'/i,-9a (Fig. 5). ~ 9 figure 2.
wtflwuto|4ur.«UI»30039 Mii'i'i ...... »»wi» tmlil |
Another great QUIZ from Cameron. (Answers on page 19)
1. What is the operculum on phasmid ova? 2. Nymphs, between moults, are given numbered instars. What is given to a newly hatched nymph? 3. How many members did the PSG have when it first formed in 1980? 4. During mating, a male phasmid makes use of a 'sperm package'. What is the correct term for this 'package'? 5. The cultures of the following all have one thing in common. What is it? a Orestes mouhotii b Pseudophasma rufipes c Sungaya inexpectata d Carausius morosus. 6. What genus do the species ahzonensis, femorata and velii belong to? 7. Which of the two sexes, male or female normally reaches maturity first by having one less moult than the other? Put these species in order of length with the smallest first (based on the female size) a Eurycantha calcarata b Carausius morosus c Ocnophiloidea regularis d Acrophylla titan 7' 9. Where would you find a micropylar plate? 10. The first PSG logo was based on what species of Phasmid? 11. What do phasmids normally do with their old skin once they have moulted? 12. Which of the two sexes in Pharnacia sp. 58 has wings?
September 2004 Newsletter 99.15 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk Hybridisation of Malacomorpha cyllara and Malcomorpha iamaicana from Jamaica
By Timm Reinhardt
Synopsis: Description and comparing analysis of hybrids between Malacomorpha jamaicana and Malacomorpha cyllara .
An individual that's parents belong to two different species is called a hybrid. Usually hybridisation only occurs between two very close related species or the offspring are infertile.
Not long ago two new phasmid species from Jamaica where brought into culture have spread like wildfire in the phasmid collections of Europe due to their prolific reproduction and easy maintenance. Malacomorpha jamaicana and M. cyllara are so similar in requirements and behaviour and those who culture both species might actually consider keeping them in one cage. Anyway this is absolutely not advisable not just because their eggs and nymphs are almost impossible to tell apart but also because the two species are so close related that, not surprisingly, they will frequently hybridise.
The Parent Species Malacomorpha jamaicana, a small wingless species with grey or brown marbled colour and a darker middle stripe running along the back. The smaller males display a lighter coloured abdomen tip. The hind legs protrude the abdomen and the adult female's abdominal segments show a small triangular extension sticking up from the end of the noti of each segment. If there would not be its wings, Malacomorpha cyllara would not differ remarkably from their smaller sister species. M. cyllara females are slightly larger than full grown M. jamaicana and usually display a lighter shade of grey. They hind legs just reach the tip of their abdomen and and unlike in M. jamaicana, the abdomen of M. cyllara is smooth to allow folding the long wings properly. The genus Malacomorpha belongs to the Pseudophasmatidae subfamily
What Happened? I have been keeping M. jamaicana for more than a year when I received some M. cyllara ova from Sally L. Ewen to add to my Pseudophasmatidae collection (Thanks Sal!).. Through the first two generations I took maximum care to keep the two species strictly apart. Still, as the stock continued reproducing my attention slowly decreased and one of the jamaicana nymphs must have accidentally mixed with my flock of
cyllaraswhile they all where still small and ^^^^_^^_^^^^^__BaMa|M|aMM^MBB_a, indistinguishable (M.jamaicana and M. cyllara nymphs look very similar). As time passed it grew unnoticed amongst the other inhabitants and matured into a small winged male. I don't know how long he has been in there since both species lead such a hidden life that I rarely see any of them in daytime. Anyway one day when I was changing their Privet leaves, some members of the colony did not hide in their toilet paper rolls but decided to huddle together between the dried up food branches. Each adult female was carrying a small winged male on their back (some even carried two competing ones) but one was looking somehow different. The male this female was backpacking showed no wings and definitely should not have been in that tank. I quickly removed it and returned it to join its own kind in the other tank. As wrong coupling is something not really unusually seen amongst phasmids in captivity (everyone who has ever kept Neohirasea maerens males together with other species will know) I didn't mind very much at all, especially as I was still under the impression that two different Genus (Alleophasma - which they used be called, and Malacomorpha... the name change and reclassification was still in the making) would not interbreed anyway.
I was proved wrong just 5 months later. The old generation was prolific as usual, and the preceding generation was developing fine, when I found a fresh adult Malacomorpha "cyllara" in the cage amongst its siblings which September 2004 Newsletter 99.16 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk was not fully winged. It had small wings, only the size of the wing buds a subadult has, but was clearly adult already with fully developed cerci. The small wings stick up from the body just like they do in adultzyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA El females and are foliose. Very tiny elytra are visible as well. Are these wings just crippled due to a bad moult or was it a aberration in development? Or was this result of the odd coupling some moth ago? While the majority of now maturing M. cyllara where completely normal, three more small-winged males and three similar females appeared, making it obvious that this could not be a mere coincidence.
I separated the apparent hybrids immediately to have a closer look on them and avoid interaction with the parent species. In fact they really looked like a perfect mixture between the two species.
Appe ranee Their colour is the typical marbled grey/brown both species share but the pattern slightly darker than that of all my M. cyllara. The wings where different in size for each individual but never larger than 0,5cm in diameter. They appeared curly and one female even had wings (elytra and alae) on one side only. On average the females reach 6cm in length (as long as an adult female cyllara) but the hind legs protrude the abdomen (like a jamaicana). The males measure 3cm. Like their parent species the hybrids like to hide in cardboard rolls and are really nasty sprayers / ,
Soon the males and females started mating and I was really curious whether the resulting eggs would be. Anyway after about a month the females although they where feeding well and mating all the time the body mass did not increase. Still nothing after 1 month. 4 month after their final moult the males started dying of old age but the females had not produced a single egg yet. Still they lived for another two month before all three died within a week (probably from old age). Dissecting one of the females afterwards made clear that none had functional ovaries. Malacomorpha jamaicana and M. cyllara are two separate species thus their offspring are incapable of further reproduction. Quite logical if one takes into consideration that both species occur on the same island and inhabit the same habitats, If the two species could mix frequently the two separate species would sooner or later become one.
Perspective It would be interesting to see whether it is possible to cross the hybrid individuals with one of their parent species in order to receive fertile offspring. Also how do the two species stay separate in the wild and do natural hybrids occur? Surely interesting topics for further research but this also makes clear how important it is to keep such close related species separate to maintain pure stocks and avoid unwanted hybridisation.
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Culture Survey Results (Tables on next page)
I've not put a single name to this article, as the whole survey was a joint effort by many including me (Mike Smith), Janine, Judith, and Paul B. Many thanks also to the 81 members who returned their survey forms. It shows we have 618 established "or old" cultures, and 295 new cultures, making an average of around 11 species per member.
I took much time trying different ways to portray this information, and eventually decided on the compromise of putting the PSG No only, and not the species name (except those with no PSG No). This also enabled me to fit it all neatly onto one page, and each member has access to the culture list anyway. But this information is merely a snapshot of how things were at the end of 2004, obviously these results can never be kept up to date easily. Apologies if the printer does not print it in a readable fashion (incompatibility), if not then I'll see if the full results can be put on our Internet site.
Top stick is our old friend Extatosoma tiaratum, followed by Aretaon asperrimus, Eurycantha calcarata, Heteropteryx dilatata, Sipyloidea sipylus, Carausius morosus, Sungaya inexpectata, then Epidares nolimetangere. Thankfully, most species are in culture, apparently. But sadly, some species are not. It may be that the PSG will seek volunteers to take on a culture of a species, alongside their own favourites, to help ensure the continuation of some species. More on that later. Meanwhile, the survey results follow September 2004 Newsletter 99.17 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk CULTURE SURVEY RESULTS (See Previous Page)
No. Ol d New No. Ol d New No. Old New No. Old New 25 0 111 5 4 , 200 0 CD 225 2 0 5 2 rf> 112
September 2004 Newsletter 99. 18 Website: www.stickinsect.org.uk