Ctenomorphodes tessulatus

Ctenomorphodes tessulatus, the tessellated stick insect, tessellated phasmid or tessulata stick insect, is a medium-sized, stick insect found in the Brisbane area of Australia. Fully grown males in mating season exhibit frenetic behaviour. This species is also parthenogenetic.

Tessellated stick insect
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Phasmatodea
Family:
Phasmatidae
Genus:
Ctenomorphodes
Species:
C. tessulatus
Binomial name
Ctenomorphodes tessulatus
(Gray)
Synonyms
  • Anchiale austrotessulata (Gray)

Description

Tessellated stick insects are brown grey. Females are about 150 mm long and males are about 120 mm long. The name comes from the black and white tessellations in the wings. Females are short winged and flightless, whilst the long-winged males are capable of flight. Eggs are tiny (3 mm), shiny black with a white capitulum.

Behaviour

Females, like many phasmids in Australia, flick their eggs to the ground in order to attract ants to take them to the ant refinery where they hatch over seasons.

Rearing in captivity

Nymphs will hatch if they are in crevices in rock and will not hatch in dry conditions, whilst on sand the eggs will hatch as well.[1] Cold conditions will hatch the eggs if they were in a non-dry environment, in a crevice, and on sand.[2]

Females are parthenogenetic so a single egg can start a population, occasionally causing defoliation.[3] Rearing the nymphs is quick and easy, low maintenance cleaning and when adult, mating is easy and simple.

See also

Notes
  1. Nymphs when hatching in crevices can use the rock, bark etc. for helping hand to get out of the egg, also while on sand the nymphs can use the sand to emerge without having the egg still attached to rear legs.
  2. Ctenomorphodes tessulatus eggs will not hatch in dry conditions. The presence of sand or litter helps the young phasmatid to completely free its metathoracic legs - if the eggs are placed loosely on the surface the nymph frequently cannot accomplish this and usually dies still attached to the shell.
  3. Whilst reaching adulthood the tesselated phasmid needs to keep feeding in order to grow, which can cause significant defoliation.
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