Macleays Spectre -  Extatosoma tiaratum
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Appearance/General information

• A large Australian species popular in captivity.
• Also known as Giant Prickly Stick Insect.
• Females can reach up to 15cm long and males up to 10 cm long. Males also have wings and can fly if disturbed.
• They hatch black with a red head but turn a more light brown colour as they grow. Occasionally green adults can be found.
• Both males and females are found in captivity however females will produce fertile eggs on their own (Parthenogenesis)
• They are very easy to handle and perfect for kids, always wash hands after handling.
• When startled they can fall to the ground with all their legs tucked in looking like a twig.

  
Housing and care

• Nymphs will moult 6-7 times from hatching to becoming an adult.
• Moulting is usually done hanging from the top of the enclosure or a high up leaf and nymphs should not be disturbed while moulting as they can fall or even get stuck.
• Nymphs and adults should be kept in an enclosure at least 3 times their size to allow room for moulting, increasing tank size as they grow.
• They should be ventilated and kept at live happily at 20 – 28C.
• They should be misted lightly with water every 2-3 days for drinking and keeping up humidity, recommended humidity is around 60%.

 
Feeding

• They feed well on bramble which can be found in gardens all year round, and will also eat eucalyptus, hazel and rose.
• Food should be changed regularly to stay fresh. Keeping the cuttings in a jar of water will keep the food fresh for longer.
• Cut leaves or leaves already nibbled on by adults are better as newly hatched nymphs can have trouble feeding on the hardened edges.

 
Breeding

• Once matured, females can lay a large number eggs each which if kept in the correct condition will hatch with a high success rate.
• This species uses can parthenogenesis to breed, meaning females will lay fertile eggs without mating with a male but these can take twice as long to hatch
• Eggs on average can take up to 6 month to hatch if fertilized by a male or up to 12 months if not.
• Eggs will be dropped to the bottom of the cage and look like black seeds with a small cap on the end for the nymphs to hatch out of.

Egg Care

• Place eggs on vermiculite (can be bought at some pet shops), damp tissue or similar and keep at 20-25C. 
• Mist lightly every few days to keep the surroundings moist but not wet, waiting for the substrate to dry before misting is a good way to help keep the mould at bay.
• Check regularly for mould as if left to grow it will kill the nymphs inside, if mould is found change substrate immediately and wipe down eggs, eggs will still hatch if not mouldy inside.
• Eggs take 6-12 months to hatch from being laid depending on temperature and if female was mated.
• Slightly warmer temperatures will cause them to hatch sooner and slightly cooler temperatures will take longer.