New Year, New Life . . .

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a complete life cycle. Breeding invertebrates is fascinating and fun. The Jungle Nymphs are some of the biggest insects we keep here, in fact they are the heaviest of all stick insects so far discovered. The adult females are plump and a really stunning bright green. The males resemble dried up bark, all brown and slender. The babies (nymphs) look similar at this stage in body shape, but the females tend to be a beige colour and the males have a darker brown pattern. They do not take on their final adult form until their final exoskeleton moults (instar). The eggs are quite simply huge! Great big dark grey eggs that get laid into the soil by the female using her ovipositor. It takes patience and diligence for these eggs to hatch. 12 to 14 months to be exact but I certainly feel exhilarated when they do. There is always something exciting and magical about a new birth - even with my insects!