Bacillus rossius

Bacillus rossius

The Mediterranean stick insect, sometimes also written Mediterranean stick insect, (Bacillus rossius ) is a kind of order of the stick insects ( Phasmatodea ). It comes in the northwestern Mediterranean, especially in Spain, southern France, Italy and the Balkan peninsula.

Appearance

The color varies from green to brown, nymphs are bright green. They resemble to the size of the Imagines ( adult animals ). The females are significantly larger than the approximately 6 cm long with males up to 10.5 cm. The antennae are short.

Life and reproduction

The Mediterranean stick insect prefers to live in bushland, dry meadows or forest edges. Here they lived shrubs and trees, where it is disguised by their rod- shaped appearance as plant stems or twigs. By day, the animals hardly move. At night, they feed on the food plants.

Every year, two generations of which slips the first in the spring, the second in the summer develop. The eggs of the second generation overwinter, while the animals do not survive the colder season. The female can easily fall to the ground per night up to 16 eggs. Overall, a female store over 1000 eggs. These are oval, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide and maroon color. Depending on the temperature, the nymphs hatch well over a year after a month or even after. Males are rare. The species is capable of parthenogenesis.

Attitude

For two breeding pairs reaches a 30 x 30 x 30 cm terrarium. The temperature should be 20-25 ° C. The humidity should be between 60 and 70% are what can be achieved by spraying evening and also allows the animals to drink. As substrate, a soil -sand mixture can be used. Be eaten leaves of hazel, blackberry, raspberry, apple or beech. The species is out of the Phasmid Study Group under both the PSG number 3 as well as under the number 56.