How difficult is it to keep Water Stick Insect?

Intermediate. This is an intermediate-level species. Some prior experience and knowledge of environmental management are recommended.

What is the lifespan of Water Stick Insect?

The average lifespan of Water Stick Insect is Adults 8 months to 1 year. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.

How large does Water Stick Insect get?

Water Stick Insect typically reaches 40-50mm as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.

What should I feed Water Stick Insect?

Water Stick Insect feeds on: Small fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects and other live prey. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

What is the typical price for Water Stick Insect?

The price of Water Stick Insect varies significantly depending on bloodline, size, captive-bred generation, and sex. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Water Stick Insect

Intermediate

Ranatra chinensis

A slender aquatic bug with raptorial front legs like a mantis and a breathing tube longer than its body. It flies better than any other Japanese water bug, moving to new waters often and even in daylight.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Temperature

20〜28℃

Lifespan

Adults 8 months to 1 year

Size

40-50mm

Humidity

60〜80%

Diet

Small fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects and other live prey

About

Ranatra chinensis is a water bug of 40-50 mm whose slender body and raptorial front legs recall a mantis, although the two are entirely unrelated. The breathing tube at the tip of the abdomen is longer than the body in males and about as long as the body in females. It lives in paddies and ponds and tends to prefer deeper water than the water scorpion that shares the same habitat, which is taken as niche partitioning. Perhaps because of its slender build it flies better than any other Japanese water bug, and it flies often even by day, so it readily colonises restored waters and artificial ponds. In the water it moves slowly, holding still among plants and dead stems in camouflage while it waits. Prey is pierced with the rostrum, injected with digestive fluid and sucked out, a process that can continue for more than fifteen hours with a large catch. It tolerates some pollution but not pesticides, and has declined across the country.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)