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.

MNESILOCHUS SP "Maculot"

Found that species on Mount Maculot, an isolated volcano mountain on the south-west of Luzon at about 350/400m altitude. Found 3 pairs that night.

MNESILOCHUS SP "Tayabas"

This species I found on the East side of Mt-Banahaw, not any more laguna province but Quezon province ! Picture of the male is missing me unfortunately, it will be posted in a few weeks on one of my "Updates"

MNESILOCHUS SP "Cristobal"

That species I found on Mount-Cristobal, sister mountain of Mt-Banahaw, laguna province, South Luzon. This species is till today the one I found at the highest elevation, at 900/1000m ! Night then was wet and pretty cold at that altitude, I tought there was nothing to find there when I saw that species, just one single female ! Since, I have that species in culture here in lowland Manila at far higher temperatures than the original specimen found > culture is going very nicely despite that and I have now many 1st generation adults.

UPDATE #3

1) Species Asceles sp "QNP" has now been successfully ID (cf. Joachim Bresseel) as Asceles scabra.
2) here below a picture of a nice female variation of Phyllium philippinicus n. sp. or PSG278.

MNESILOCHUS SP "QNP"

Found that species long time ago, exactly last november 2008. Since then I was able to culture it and produce many adults which are laying eggs now again. Beautiful, medium size species, very adapted to its environement and almost invisible among branches. Can take many positions, break it's body and neck in extremes ways, amazing.

ASYSTATA SP "QNP 2"

Just like the previous species of the same genus, collected that single specimen as subadult at the site. Turned adult female soon after and again "parthenogenetic" culture was successfull.

ASYSTATA SP "TAYABAS"

Got that species on a single specimen that was a subadult at collecting site. Eventually she turned adult a couple of weeks later. Was concerned if that genus could generate a "parthenogenetic" culture and it did !!!!