Cohabitation of stick insect species

[Mothcarthy]

Hey everyone! I was wondering about keeping various stick insects together in the same enclosure. I was planning on “sticking” with species native to the same geographic region, and am curious if this is something that is typically done. My only cons in my head right now are if there’s a noticeable size difference and run the risk for accidentally injury or if the genus are close enough for them to hybridize. I would love to hear if anyone has any experience or thoughts on this!

 

[Dry Desert]

Hey everyone! I was wondering about keeping various stick insects together in the same enclosure. I was planning on “sticking” with species native to the same geographic region, and am curious if this is something that is typically done. My only cons in my head right now are if there’s a noticeable size difference and run the risk for accidentally injury or if the genus are close enough for them to hybridize. I would love to hear if anyone has any experience or thoughts on this!

You'll probably find that each will require their own food preferences and not eat any other type.

I personally wouldn't keep Jungle Nymphs with anything else

If you mix stick insects with leaf insects the sticks will chew on the leaf insects.

Basically not a good idea anyway to mix species.

 

[Mothcarthy]

You'll probably find that each will require their own food preferences and not eat any other type.

I personally wouldn't keep Jungle Nymphs with anything else

If you mix stick insects with leaf insects the sticks will chew on the leaf insects.

Basically not a good idea anyway to mix species.

Thanks for the response! Yeah the jungle nymphs looked too big for anything, the ones I was looking at in particular were Epidares nolimetangere and Dares validispinus since they have similar humidity and temp requirements as well as eating the same host posts

 

[viper69]

Mixed species should always be approached with careful research and caution for the lives of the animals that your desires will either thrive or die under

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

You'll probably find that each will require their own food preferences and not eat any other type.

I personally wouldn't keep Jungle Nymphs with anything else

If you mix stick insects with leaf insects the sticks will chew on the leaf insects.

Basically not a good idea anyway to mix species.

I would Imagine the stick insects won’t know the leafs insects are another bug.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Many phasmids have similar dietary preferences and will thrive under the same conditions (and even if they don't have the same dietary preferences you can just put multiple hostplants in the same enclosure as long as there's space).

I wouldn't mix aggressive species like Eurycantha and Heteropteryx with other species (though I have seen mixed setups with those), nor would I mix any large heavy-bodied phasmids with delicate species or mix leaf insects with other phasmids, but species that are nonaggressive and similar in build (e.g, most of the slender sticklike species) won't bother each other. The amount of space and food per bug will make a much bigger difference to their wellbeing than the species makeup.