Peruphasma schultei

Peruphasma schultei is a species of stick insect found in the Cordillera del Condor region of northern Peru. In the wild the insect feeds on Schinus plants, but will feed on privet, Aucuba japonica and honeysuckle in captivity. In Peru they are only known to exist in a region of less than 5 hectares, but since their discovery they have become increasingly popular as pets worldwide due to their unusual colouration and they are now bred regularly in captivity.

Peruphasma schultei
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Phasmatodea
Family:
Pseudophasmatidae
Genus:
Peruphasma
Species:
P. schultei
Binomial name
Peruphasma schultei
Conle & Hennemann, 2005

It is named after Rainer Schulte, who collected the original specimens.[1]

Description

A large and compact species, females can reach 5.5 cm and are larger than males, which measure 3.8 to 4.3 cm.[2] They have a black body, yellow eyes and red/brownish mouth parts, with adults having bright red vestigial wings. When disturbed, adults of this species are able to spray a defensive liquid from glands at the rear of the head which can be irritating to the skin and eyes.

  • Pair
  • Hindwing
  • Female
  • Illustration of a female
  • Eggs

References
  1. Conle, O. V.; Hennemann, F. H. (2005). "Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea I: A remarkable new species of Peruphasma Conle & Hennemann, 2002 from Northern Peru (Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae: Pseudophasmatinae)". Zootaxa. 1068: 59–68.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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