Just a quick post to introduce you all to my latest additions to the creepy crawly family.
Top left: Fire-back Huntsman (Beregama cordata)
Top right: Cigar Stick insect nymph (Cigarrophasma tessellatum)
Bottom right: Giant Burrowing Cockroach nymph (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
Bottom right: Wuelfing Stick insect nymph (Acrophylla wuelfingi)
I’ll be doing some follow-up posts with more in-depth information on all these guys, as well as on their progress and growth.
Uni studies have me pretty swamped anymore, but I had to share my latest find. Here’s a video of a Saunders Case Moth caterpillar I found on an evergreen tree. These guys are usually timid and hide when you approach, but this cutie actually came out for a play.
These case moth caterpillars are one of the largest in Australia, with their cases sometimes reaching 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) long! You can see in the video the caterpillar is nothing to sneeze at either , although as an adult moth they surprisingly small.
The male will pupate and then leave the case to find a suitable mate. The female, who is wingless, will stay in her case indefinitely and await her prince.
Wannabe Entomologist 