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The males of some species of stick insect are few and far between. The females can sort out this problem by laying eggs and without fertilization they will develop into new stick insects. Most female stick insects are capable of doing this but it has its major disadvantages- the young are identical to the mother and they possess none of the genetic variation that allows a species to evolve. Because of this male genes are needed. For the more sociable species of stick insect finding a mate is easy, but for the less sociable species finding a mate is a lot harder. The female attracts a mate by sending out a seductive scent. A nearby male will be attracted to the smell and a pair of mates will cling to a leaf or a twig. The female will scatter her eggs randomly. Each of her eggs may stay on the forest floor for up to three years, protected by its seed like apperance and its hard shell. When the young stick insect is ready to break free it will emerge through a hinged opening in the shell. It will climb the nearest stem and that will be its host tree and a good food supply. It is a good idea to bring in new parents to prevent deformaties which can occur.
These stick insect eggs are incubating
on a bed of soil.
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Females can lay as many as 1000 eggs at one time. A good surrounding would be a good supply of food and open surroundings. Some species eject their eggs. A good example is the giant prickly stick insect, it flexws the tip of its abdomen forward under its body, fires its eggs below its head. Giant spiny stick insects tend to bury each of their eggs in a different area each time. Jungle nymph eggs hatch better in temperatures of about 70-84degrees fahrenheight. This temperature will speed up the breeding cycle although they can take up to 2 months-1 year to hatch. When the female is gravilating [pregnant] she will need a constant and fresh supply of food. Some species can only lay their eggs successfully at certain temperatures, but most of the commonly available species will be happy with laying at normal room temperature. The temperature in incubation is vital to the successfulness of the eggs, but most will hatch at room temperature.
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concerning the breeding of stick insects email
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This is a picture of a male and female giant prickly stick insect in their mating posistion. Sadly soon after mating the male will soon die passing on his genes to the next generation of stick insects.