Source: Wikimedia Commons
Jungle Nymph
IntermediateHeteropteryx dilatata
A giant stick insect of the Malay Archipelago. Females reach 14-17cm and 30-65g, among the heaviest of living insects. They are lime green and thorny, and their shortened wings will not carry them.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Temperature
20〜28℃
Lifespan
Adult females 1-2 years / adult males 3-4 months
Size
Females 14-17cm and 30-65g, males 9-13cm
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
The leaves of broadleaf trees
About
Heteropteryx dilatata is a giant stick insect of the Malay Archipelago and the only species in its genus, which gives its name to the family Heteropterygidae. It is recorded from the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra and Sarawak on Borneo, and is nocturnal. Females are far larger and broader than males, reaching 14-17cm and 30-65g, which puts them among the heaviest insects alive. They are usually lime green, though yellow and, more rarely, red-brown individuals occur. Both pairs of wings are shortened, the green forewings covering strikingly pink hindwings at rest, and the insect cannot fly. Head, body and legs are thorny, and a secondary ovipositor sits at the end of the abdomen. Males are much smaller and slender at 9-13cm, spined all over, mottled brown, with hindwings that cover the whole abdomen. Both sexes stridulate in defence, jerking the wings open again and again, and threaten with the abdomen raised and the spiny hind legs splayed, snapping them shut like scissors on contact.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Jungle Nymph
The Jungle Nymph lives Adult females 1-2 years / adult males 3-4 months.
Size of the Jungle Nymph
The Jungle Nymph grows to Females 14-17cm and 30-65g, males 9-13cm.
Basic Info
Origin
The Malay Archipelago (the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra and Sarawak on Borneo)
Lifespan
Adult females 1-2 years / adult males 3-4 months
Size
Care Specifications
PeacefulSolitaryBreeding: Moderate
Sources: Wikipedia (en): Heteropteryx / GBIF: Heteropteryx dilatata (Parkinson, 1798) / Stick insects - Wikipedia (JA); life cycle and lifespan / Plant Protection Station, MAFF Japan: import of insects and microorganisms
References & Sources
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Heteropteryx dilatata (Parkinson, 1798)
Authority databases: GBIF
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listed
Plant Protection Act: The import of insects, foreign stick insects included, is regulated under Japan's Plant Protection Act, and whether a given species may enter depends on the country it comes from. What circulates in Japan is captive-bred stock.
Sources: CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org) / Plant Protection Station, MAFF Japan: import of insects and microorganisms
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
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