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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 23, 2011 19:36:27 GMT
Picture of them in their set up can be found here if anyone is interested. The female and her mate are on the right, and the other male is on the left. I endured many small cuts to place that bramble. ;D I use kitchen towels for ease of maintenance, and eggs (Not to mention waste) are easy to spot.
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Post by lotsofants on Jun 23, 2011 19:42:40 GMT
Nice set up. I'm just wondering is there some stick insects that can spray a sort of chemical that stops predator from eating them, because I saw something like that on a documentary
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 23, 2011 21:40:13 GMT
I'm not sure, I only keep the one species and they don't seem to have any self defence apart from their camouflage. Female stick insect has laid a 17th egg just now. No doubt I'll wake up tomorrow to be met with another dozen.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 24, 2011 6:53:00 GMT
Okay, not a dozen, but there's now 19. There'll probably be more when I return from finishing my coursework today.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 24, 2011 13:47:09 GMT
Bramble leaves, privet leaves, among other things. I haven't really experimented, but bramble is very easy to find.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 24, 2011 13:55:27 GMT
That isn't rose bush in there, it's bramble. But yes, aphids will feed on it. I could always use it as a means to cultivate aphids for my ants, I suppose. Ants do not naturally like stick insects, and will bite at their feet (Their most sensitive point). They will take the eggs into the colony under the belief that they are seeds, and most eggs do hatch and the resulting babies are allowed to leave, to my knowledge. I would experiment with a egg and my Lasius Niger, but I wouldn't want harm to come to the ants or the stick insect.
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Post by lotsofants on Jun 24, 2011 15:57:15 GMT
Some stick insects lay eggs with a bit of protein on the end, and some ants find them and bring them in the nest, but they choose not to eat them and leave them. The egg is now in a safe place until it hatches and quickly runs for the nearest plant/tree. I don't know if this will happen with this type of stick insect as I do not know what specie uses this tactic, but I hope it goes well
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 27, 2011 14:48:28 GMT
I now have 28 eggs, and including the adults, there will be 31 stick insects altogether.
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Post by lotsofants on Jun 27, 2011 20:20:54 GMT
Do you think thats the end, or do you think theres more to come?
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 27, 2011 20:47:33 GMT
Very funny that you should say that, Lotsofants. She has laid her 30th egg this evening, and guess what! I took off the lid of the tank to change their water (Which has dried in today's heat) and she tried climbing out. As she did so, the male missing his right front leg approached her and is now copulating with her. Shooing the female back down so I could put the lid back has not discouraged him. The invasion is only just beginning. I hope that laying so many eggs won't put a strain on the female, though.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 30, 2011 22:01:01 GMT
There are 41 eggs, and they are mating again. Looks like I'll have a bit of a crisis finding places for the many offspring of these insects. I hope they won't be doing this every week.
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Post by Jenny on Jul 1, 2011 5:10:42 GMT
Oh yes they probably will ;D Mine are eating me out of house and home, it's a good job I have the woods nearby for their food
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 1, 2011 9:06:41 GMT
46 eggs. I see what you mean there, Jenant. Luckily there are plenty of bramble growths by the nearby shoreline, so food shouldn't be much of a problem.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 5, 2011 18:19:30 GMT
There's almost 60 eggs now. I can't believe how prolific they are.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 11, 2011 17:37:31 GMT
There's well over 100 eggs now, and the adults have mated at least three times this week.
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