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Spiny leaf insect (Macleay's Phasmid)

Extatosoma tiaratum

Description:

Highly mimetic of dry briar leaves. This female has no wings. This brown spiny phasmid has become a popular pet.

Habitat:

Arboreal. Found on Eucalyptus, Common in Queensland. This stick insect was bred in captivity from an egg and does not survive Victorian winters if kept outdoors.

Notes:

Males are very different, thin and winged. They were once thought to be a different species. Females are parthenogenic with un-mated eggs producing daughters only. Photos taken on citrus tree - not a foodplant. Although called a leaf insect, it is a true stick insect. Pic 4 is a hatchling, imitating the red headed meat ant. Pic 5 is the male with wings set outspread. Pic #6 is the egg with frenulum.

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31 Comments (1–25)

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

Thank you Mayra and Andrea

MayraSpringmann
MayraSpringmann 11 years ago

WOW! Fascinating!!!

Andrea Lim
Andrea Lim 11 years ago

Great series Martin. Good spotting!

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

Thank you for your kind words Antonio.

fantastic series martinl,congrats on the great work you do here,thanks for sharing,your spotting page is a LESSON for all of us

MartinL
MartinL 11 years ago

Thanks for your comments

love it!

Reiaze
Reiaze 11 years ago

That's an awesome photo! Well done!

MayraSpringmann
MayraSpringmann 11 years ago

Fantastic!!!

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

Thanks Mandy. This one is a captive bred adult female - winter is too cold for them to survive down here. Native to northeastern Australia but kept as pets worldwide.

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 12 years ago

You found these in Georgia?! I'll have to keep an eye out for them in my yard too.

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 12 years ago

Wow! This is an incredible spotting!

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

I put her on the citrus for a bright background, she started to take a bite, never having seen a non edible leaf in her life, and quickly stopped. They're as docile as my cat and will sit there posing all day..

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 12 years ago

looks like she's saying " Is this pose alright - click please" - absolutely wonderful !!. Pic #4 (excluding main pic) looks like me as a teenager !!

- great information and series of pics. Thanks.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

I can hear her calling out martin... "Where are you going!? Don't leave me up here."

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

I've added her egg to the series.

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

Carol; praying mantids are carnivorous and predatory. They are live feeders. This is a lot of work. I'm sticking with sticks. They may be slow but they eat eucalyptus leaves, or rose leaves, or oak. That is easy.

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Really awesome! I want one!!!!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

That hatchling REALLY is cute!

Walking Leaf
Walking Leaf 12 years ago

martinl: I see, I did not look up their habitat in Australia before posting. Extatosoma are popular pets all around the world an I have kept them too.

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 12 years ago

You added the wing photo! WOW! That is so cool that you raise them! I am thinking about raising praying mantis.

AnnaWhipkey
AnnaWhipkey 12 years ago

these are great. I just saw a fascinating documentary on pet beetles in Japan, "Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo"

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

Just added the male stick insect. Just added the cutest hatchling. Oh yes, and I corrected the typo - thanks argybee.

MartinL
MartinL 12 years ago

Just to clarify for Walking leaf - this species is not found in Victoria. I have bred this insect.

MartinL
Spotted by
MartinL

Victoria, Australia

Spotted on Dec 26, 2011
Submitted on Dec 26, 2011

Spotted for Mission

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