Sabah Stick Bug (Areaton asperrimus) (PSG-118)

This is a very thorny specie. Adults get 3.15inches (8cm) long. They should be kept at 18- 25°C (70- 77°F), 30- 40% humidity. Nymphs should be sprayed every day, till they reach their 2nd instar, and then every 2nd- 3rd day. They are great for beginners though do not do well in hotter temperatures. When handled, they tend to stay on your hand unless pinched on an appendage, in which case they will start running away, and fall right off your hand. I feed my culture Bramble year round and in summer time I offer them some Oak and Salmon Berry to ensure that each generation is getting a variety of plants.
Females deposit their ova into the substrate using their ova depository needle. The best way is to just keep the ova in the substrate as it is very sensitive to light and if exposed to light for longer periods of time, will have a very low hatch rate. The ova is prone to mould problems, especially if exposed to the first 1/2 inch of the substrates surface. If the mould is found on ova, it should be carefully cleaned with a q-tip using Oak Tea (made from dried Oak leafs). Oak tea helps prevent mould coming back after it has being cleaned off for quite some time.

Females: get 3 3/16 (81mm) long. Females will lay their ova in the ground, so the substrate should be at least 1- 2 inches deep. The substrate should be moist but not wet, if you squize it in your hand slightly, no water should drip.

Males: get 2 inches (51mm) long.

Diet: Bramble, Ivy, Oak, Raspberry, Rose, Red/ Yellow Salmon Berry.

Ova.

one day old female nymph.

L2 female.

Subadult females.

Rare green form subadult.

Subadult male.

Adult female.

Adult male.