EURYCNEMA HERCULANEA, Charpentier. 



On the Parthenogenetic Breeding of 

 EURYCNEMA HERCULANEA, Charpentier, 



By R. Hanitsch, Ph. D., 

 Curator of the Raffles Museum, Singapore, 



Although I have already given some account of the breed- 

 ing of the huge Phasmid insect, since identified as Eurycnema 

 kerculanea, Charpentier, in the Annual Reports of the Raffles 

 Library and Museum for 1897 and 1898, it seems desirable to 

 put it on record in a more connected form. 



About January 1897 Mr. L. A. Fernandis, Taxidermist in 

 the Raffles Museum, received a living female of this species, 

 but as it had passed through several hands, its place of origin 

 could not be traced. Possibly it may have come from Java, 

 lie kept it alive, feeding it on guava leaves (Pisidium guyava, 

 L.), and in February it began to lay eggs. He kindly presented 

 me with a number of those eggs, most of which hatched during 

 April and May of that year, but one not till August, and the 

 last one in the middle of September. As soon as the young 

 ones were hatched, they applied themselves very vigorously to 

 the consumption of guava leaves, and grew so quickly that the 

 first one out was fully developed on August 11th, casting its 

 last skin on that date, i. e., more than a month before its last 

 sister egg was hatched. During growth they cast off their 

 skin several times without any great effort, only rarely losing 

 a leg in the process, until the last cast, when many of them 

 lost several legs, one even as many as five. Naturally these 

 were then helpless in feeding themselves, not being able to 

 cling on to the guava leaves, and they soon died. But the in- 

 dividuals which were successful afforded an interesting sight 

 when the last skin was cast. Up to this they had beeu stick- 

 like in appearance (Malay name '• Bilalang Ranting," Stick In- 

 sect), without wings, of dark brown colour in i he earlier stages 



R. A. Soc, No. 38, 19<)2. 



