TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phasmatodea (walking sticks, plasmids and ghost insects)
Family: Heteropterygidae

Genus/species: Heteropteryx dilatata

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Heteropteryx dilatata are well camouflaged. The males are long and slender and are brown with beige in color (length up to 10 cm in, light and able to fly.). The adult females are lime green, very large and have a very wide body (length up to 15 cm or 6 in). Wings are short and lay like a cap on the back of the insect and can’t fly. Males are much smaller and a mottled brown color. Both sexes have small spikes on their head and body, but the female has more of them.

DISTRIBUTION: Malaysia

DIET IN THE WILD: Blackberry, raspberry, rose and ivy leaves.

REPRODUCTION: Sexual.  Females deposit the dark, circular eggs in moist soil. They hatch in 12 to 14 months.

Male Jungle Nymph below

 

REMARKS: Both sexes have small spikes on their upper bodies, more numerous in the female, who also has very large spines on her hind legs that can snap together as a scissor-like weapon.

References

California Academy of Sciences Rainforest Level 4

EOL  http://eol.org/pages/1077486/details

ADW http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Heteropteryx_dilatata/classification/

Keeping Insects  https://www.keepinginsects.com/stick-insect/species/jungle-nymph/

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1MO

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/33312595406/in/album-72157620708938680/