Location in Zoo
Geographic Range
Scientific Information
Lifestyle and Lifespan
Conservation
Among most stick insect species, there is sexual dimorphism (males are different in appearance and size from females). Females are larger than males, they can grow to 6 inches in body length and are heavily built. From above females look like a stretched, pointy, oval leaf. Females are green and have rudimentary bright pink, or brownish wings. Males are smaller than the females, growing to 4 inches long. They are also much more slender and stick-like. Males are brown, have long striped antennae, thorny heads and legs, and functional plum-colored wings.
The jungle nymph is also known as the giant thorny phasmid. It belongs in the family Phasmatidae, which is in the order Phasmatodea. The phasmid order, with more than 2,500 stick and leaf insect species, includes Palopus titan. At more than 1-foot (30.3 cm) long, Palopus titan is the largest known insect living today. Mantids, grasshoppers and cockroaches are closely related to the phasmids, and were previously classified in the same order.
This species is large in size and has great camouflage. The large size and sharp exoskeleton allows them to defend themselves against predators. Females are able to blend into tree leaves and the males have the striking resemblance to twigs and bark.
Tropical Rainforest
Mainly found in Peninsular Malaysia, but also reported in Singapore, Sumatra, Sarawak, and Thailand.
Guava leaves and other large-leafed tropical trees and plants. Will eat mainly blackberry leaves here, but can also eat rose, oak and English ivy leaves.
This species is still considered common in the wild. However, the tropical rainforest that these insects need as habitat is rapidly declining due to several human imposed pressures such as farmers slash-and-burn clear-cutting to create land for grazing and crops. Humans need insects, they are vital as food for other species. Some even produce food for humans.
Diurnal
The walking sticks rely on a grouping behavior that allows the insects to be camouflaged against tree bark.
The mobile males search out females to mate with, which then lay more than 100 eggs by ovipositing, or burying them into the soil. Hatching occurs 12-16 months later, usually in the spring. This, and some other phasmid species' eggs, can hatch more than a year after they're laid, driving populations to high levels every other year. Delayed hatching may actually protect jungle nymphs from over-predation. Predators form strong, lifelong prey search images in their first year of foraging. During those years when the phasmid populations are low, young predators are less likely to learn to recognize them.
A single female lays 100 + eggs after mating.
These insects can snap the two long sections of a rear leg together to defend themselves with a powerful, barbed pinch!
Some phasmids can reproduce asexually! In a process called parthenogenesis, the females lay eggs that are clones of themselves!
A young phasmid that loses a leg can regenerate a new, useful, but smaller leg at its next molt!
This walking stick is known by many names- Jungle Nymphs and Malaysian stick insects are two others!
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