Carausius morosus
Encyclopedia
Carausius morosus is a species of phasmid
that is often kept by schools and individuals as pets. Culture stocks originate from an original collection from Tamil Nadu
, India
. Like the majority of the phasmatodea
, they are nocturnal. Culture stocks are parthenogenetic
females that can reproduce without mating. There are no reports of males, although in captivity gynandromorph
s (individuals with both female and male characteristics) are sometimes reared.
Feeding occurs at night, when the insects are active. During the day they rest (often with legs in line with the body) on their foodplants.
, ivy
or bramble
. They need to be kept in a cage around 25 cm in height to allow for successful moulting
. Females will lay eggs shortly after reaching adulthood, at the rate of several per night. These can be hatched by keeping them on dry paper towel, or in a dry dish. Eggs can take four months to hatch, depending on many factors including temperature. This is species number 1 on the Phasmid Study Group Culture List
, Great Britain
and the USA. The last has been more problematic than most, with many reports from gardeners of the insects reaching pest proportions, especially in Orange County.
Phasmatodea
The Phasmatodea are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects , walking sticks or stick-bugs , phasmids, ghost insects and leaf insects...
that is often kept by schools and individuals as pets. Culture stocks originate from an original collection from Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Like the majority of the phasmatodea
Phasmatodea
The Phasmatodea are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects , walking sticks or stick-bugs , phasmids, ghost insects and leaf insects...
, they are nocturnal. Culture stocks are parthenogenetic
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction found in females, where growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by a male...
females that can reproduce without mating. There are no reports of males, although in captivity gynandromorph
Gynandromorph
A gynandromorph is an organism that contains both male and female characteristics. The term gynandromorph, from Greek "gyne" female and "andro" male, is mainly used in the field of Lepidopterology or entomology...
s (individuals with both female and male characteristics) are sometimes reared.
Description
Females are elongated and approximately 80–100 mm in length. The front legs have red patches at the base of the forelegs, and similar but yellow patches on the mid-legs. Eggs are ovoid and brown, with a beige plug at one end. When the eggs hatch, the plug opens and dark, tiny, string-like young crawl out of the opening. The eggs are haploid.Behaviour
When disturbed the major defence method is feigning death, the body becoming rigid, and the legs held along the line of the body.Feeding occurs at night, when the insects are active. During the day they rest (often with legs in line with the body) on their foodplants.
Care in captivity
This is an easy species to rear, feeding on fresh privetPrivet
Privet was originally the name for the European semi-evergreen shrub Ligustrum vulgare, and later also for the more reliably evergreen Ligustrum ovalifolium , used extensively for privacy hedging. It is often suggested that the name privet is related to private, but the OED states that there is no...
, ivy
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
or bramble
Bramble
Brambles are thorny plants of the genus Rubus, in the rose family . Bramble fruit is the fruit of any such plant, including the blackberry and raspberry. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere , Dutch Braam and French framboise...
. They need to be kept in a cage around 25 cm in height to allow for successful moulting
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
. Females will lay eggs shortly after reaching adulthood, at the rate of several per night. These can be hatched by keeping them on dry paper towel, or in a dry dish. Eggs can take four months to hatch, depending on many factors including temperature. This is species number 1 on the Phasmid Study Group Culture List
Accidental introductions
Accidental introductions have been recorded around the world, including South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the USA. The last has been more problematic than most, with many reports from gardeners of the insects reaching pest proportions, especially in Orange County.