The numbers
Enclosure
15 × 15 × 20 cm
Diet
Bramble (staple), oak, raspberry (Rubus spp.) · Fresh leaves always available; replace ~weekly
Temperature
22–27°C
Humidity
75–85% (near-enclosed)
Identity
Order / Family
Phasmatodea
Origin
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated; not CITES-listed
Difficulty
Intermediate
Commonality
Fairly common
Adult size
F ~4 cm dark & spiny (dwarf); M ~3 cm
Lifespan
F ~8–12 mo adult; total ~12–15 mo
Growth rate
Slow
Activity & niche
Nocturnal · Ground/leaf-litter dweller
Temperament
Calm, secretive, cryptic
Venom / defense
Harmless; small spines; plays dead
Price (THB)
฿250–550
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
22–27°C
Humidity
75–85% (near-enclosed)
Min. enclosure
15×15×20 cm; enclosed & humid; leaf-litter floor
Substrate
Moist coco + leaf litter for buried eggs
Hides / decor / water
Bark & leaf-litter hides; mist to keep damp
Diet
Staple food
Bramble (staple), oak, raspberry (Rubus spp.)
Feeding frequency
Fresh leaves always available; replace ~weekly
Supplements
None; fresh host leaves only
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Docile; tiny — observe rather than handle
Communal
Yes — gregarious with hides
Defense / stress signs
Plays dead; tucks legs; freezes in litter
Reproduction
Reproduction
Sexual; eggs buried; hatch ~4–6 mo
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsDesiccation/mismoult if humidity drops
Red flags / quarantine
SignsSluggish, shrivel, mould, failure to moult
Good to know
- A thumbnail-sized spiny gnome of the Bornean forest floor
Others in this group
Indian / Laboratory Stick InsectCarausius morosusGiant Prickly / Spiny Leaf InsectExtatosoma tiaratumVietnamese / Annam Stick InsectMedauroidea extradentataMalayan Jungle NymphHeteropteryx dilatataPink-Winged Stick InsectSipyloidea sipylusSabah Thorny Stick InsectAretaon asperrimusThorny Devil Stick InsectEurycantha calcarataBlack Beauty Stick InsectPeruphasma schultei