PSG260 Diapherodes gigantea

Common name: Unkown (poss. Apple Green Stick insect?)

Subfamily: Cladmorphinae

Origin: Grenada

Adult size: Females: 130mm Males: 100mm

Food plants: Eucalyptus, Bramble, Oak, Beech and apparently Hazel. It should be noted eucalyptus must be available at all times, especially for nymphs.

Description: Females large and bulky, and a brilliant shade of apple green. They have short, stubby yellow spines and serrated legs. They have a large chute at the end of the abdomen for flicking eggs at the end of their abdomen. They also have small rudimentary wings which are useless for flight. Males are less stunning, being a light chocolate brown. Wings are a reddish-brown, and are fully capable of flight. I can’t remember exactly, but I think ova where large, grey and cylindrical.

Comment: These seem easy to rear. I kept my nymphs in a partially ventilated container, which was kept fairly dry, but spray about once or twice a week. Kitchen roll was used as a substrate. When they got larger nymphs were moved to a large, fully ventilated net cage. This was about 2ft in height. It was sprayed about two-three times a week, as they like to drink. Substrate was newspaper. I lost one nymph out of about forty under these conditions. These insects eat gargantuan amounts, and I was forever having to replace there food plants. They are also quite aggressive and swipe at an ‘attacker’ with their hind legs, and when being held they clasp tightly, digging in their blunt spines. However, this doesn’t hurt, but I was still surprised by the pressure they were able to exert. This species was previously known as Aplopus gigantea.

Thanks Chris!