Species: Eurycnema goliath (PSG 14).
Common Name: Goliath Stick Insect.
Size: Maximum: Males,
15cm. Females, 19cm.
Breeding: Sexual.
Eggs: These are dropped to the floor.
Expect a low hatch rate.
Food: Eucalyptus, Acacia, Oak,
Bramble (as a last resort).
Humidity: Light to medium spray once
every one or two days. Small nymphs should be sprayed very
lightly every three days.
Comments: This is an excellent insect
to keep, provided you can provide them with space (an enclosure
3 feet tall is a must). They are brown as nymphs and as
adults, the male remains brown and the female, an attractive
green with white stripes. Both adult sexes have wings, but
only the males will use them and this is occasionally.
This is not an easy species to keep.
Near perfect conditions have to be provided or you will have
losses, this comes from personal experience. The nymphs
are especially fragile and I personally have had approximately
25% survival rate (from ova). This species can also
experience problems with moulting if conditions are not correct.
In all, this is a rewarding species to
keep, but must be cared for properly. The adult females
are huge and really easy to handle, although can disappear at a
rate of knots due to their long legs.
