End Year Holidays

ASCELES SP "Real"

Species similar to Asceles scabra from QNP, found it there again, deep in Mount-Palakong, Real, East Luzon 6 months ago in the company of Joachim bresseel during that "famous" collecting night :))

MITHRENES SP Ilanin

Yet another Mithrenes species I actually found as early as August 2008.....but found only a single pair and the hatchlings from that couple all died as they refused all foodplants I was proposing to them ! Then last August 2009 I went back to the exact same place as the previous year hoping to find that species again and this time I was luckier as I found several pairs on a single night, however that species is confined to a very small area on a trail about 400 meter long along a river in the Ilanin forest, West-Luzon and thats it, never found any anywhere else than that piece of trail !!! This time too I was able to ID the foodplant and was able to breed it. Ilanin Forest is a place very kind to me as it previously gave me also the First Phyllium species 9 years ago, today known as PSG278 and the very first male of Sungaya inexpectata 2 years ago, unknown at that time :))

UPDATE # 5

And here are the pictures of the Adult male of Ctenomorphodes tessulata, missing in my previous post.

Other Non-Filipino species I breed / have breed #12

EXTATOSOMA TIARATUM SP?
Origin > Queensland - Australia
Here's a very nice and interesting species......starts with the eggs that are only half size of the "usual" ETs we all know, then the females colorations are very variable indeed : as pictured it goes from brown to orange and then green!!! I started culture with guava (Psidium gujava) till L4 then changed foodplant to Muntingia....from that moment on started to appear a few specimens turning green color :) I should have probably started with muntingia even a moult earlier and I'm convinced that some specimens would turn in very deep green color > next generation for sure ! Sexual breeding. (Thanks Alex)

Other Non-Filipino species I breed / have breed #11

CTENOMORPHODES TESSULATA
Origin > Queensland - Australia
Nice medium sized phasmid, pretty common, variable in colorations. Nice orange mini wings however. Have only females in culture as of today and a single male which is a subadult now (see future UPDATE for pics). Species is parthenogenetic anyway. I feed them problemless on guava (Psidium gujava). (Thanks Alex)

Other Non-Filipino species I breed / have breed #10

ACROPHYLLA TITAN
Origin > Queensland - Australia
Sumptuous and very large species, the largest I have breed so far. Both sexes have large wings, black and white with a nice purple base, the male flies nicely, strongly.
Here they accepted Guava (Psidium gujava) as replacement foodplant easily. That species require a very large cage, at least 80cm in height, as the final moult of the female is a tricky one, she needs that depth to fully hang her huge front legs and develop correctly her large wings. (thanks Alex)

Other Non-Filipino species I breed / have breed # 9

MEGACRANIA TSUDAI
Origin > Taiwan


My second Pandanus eater and Megacrania after sp. Phelaus ! Parthenogenetic culture......so all females.....less colorful species than Phelaus but has its charm too. Tought that Phelaus was eating many Pandanus but compared to this one > no match !!! They eat each and every variety of Pandanus I have been given to them, tried about 5 kinds and all were eaten ! (thanks Ken)

UPDATE # 4

1) Here is a "foodplants" update to consider :

> Orthomeria sp. pandora beside, Firethorn/Pyracantha (cf. Bruno Kneubuhler), also accept Willowherb as foodplant (cf. Rob Krijns / Netherlands - Thank you)

> Tisamenus sp Clotho? is NOT accepting Bramble as foodplant as other Tisamenus do, but feed on Firethorn (Pyracantha) and Hypericum (cf. Bruno Kneubuhler / Switzerland - Thank you)

> Scionecra sp. "QNP" will very probably feed on Cherry Laurel as do its close relative from "Negros" (cf. Bruno Kneubuhler / Switzerland - Thank you)

PERIPHETES QUEZONICUS

One of the top 3 most beautiful species I found for my taste !!! Found the female on Mt Palakong together with Joachim Bresseel last early july 2009, we were already on our way going down at about midnight, when Joachim called me he spotted her on top of a big leaf ! I still can remember the happiness when we both held her ! The whole Palakong trip for me was based upon the wish to find that female species as I found the male only on a previous trip there. Back in Manila I (re)united both male and female, they paired quickly and eggs started immediately to be laid. They accepted immediately Rose as replacement plant. Both of them are still alive as of today and going strong still for my daily pleasures :)

Pictures of Sites # 7

Mount Palakong Simbahan - Real - Quezon Province - East Luzon
So here it is the pics of my favourite mountain so far .....! Trully phasmids paradise, me and Joachim Bresseel (on second picture below) found a stagering 20 species on a single night on that mountain and covered only half of its height to 500m asl, total elevation is 1070m asl.
Long and tough climb to reach even half of the mountain but such rewarding....found there were tisamenus, periphetes, phyllium, asystata, nescicroa, scionecra, pharnacia and so on.....! Hopefully that entire site can remain as it is for a long time still, free of any loggings or forest clearings/fires. Place should be protected whatever the costs !

ASYSTATA SP "Real"

The 5th species of that genus I found so far......this one only a few weeks ago on Mount Palakong, Real, East Luzon - at about 400/450m altitude. Like all other species I have in culture, they immediately accepted Guava (psidium gujava) as replacement foodplant. Found a single couple only, which is adult now and starting egg laying.