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Phobaeticus serratipes (Gray, 1835)
| Family Name: | Phasmatidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Stick Insect) |
| Common Name: | Giant Malayan Stick |
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | Found by the sides of roads hanging from its food plants. The eggs take five to nine months to hatch and require damp but breezy conditions for successful incubation. Both sexes are sexual and eggs do not hatch if not fertilised. Phobaeticus serratipes is very rare and vulnerable in Singapore. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is extremely common and may be found all along the wayside trees leading up to the Cameron Highlands and elsewhere. The author has only ever found two specimen of this species here. An experiment with the National Parks Board to repopulate the species around Bukit Timah Hill did not succeed as macaques were observed to eat most of the released specimens. |
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| Habitats | Forest, Terrestrial |
| Distribution | Throughout Peninsular Malaysia; Java, Sumatra and Singapore. |
| Nature Reserves | Central Catchment Nature Reserve |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | Animal predation and food plant destruction are the most important threats to the species. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | Phobaeticus serratipes has been listed as the longest insect in the world. They are valuable in insect houses as they are easily kept, their value being as tourist attractions and also as tools to inculcate a love for nature. |
| Conservation Notes | Its known locality near MacRitchie is protected within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, but even here only two specimens have been seen. As the predation problem cannot be overcome, unless monkeys and other predators are eliminated, the species is most likely not possible to maintain in the wild. Captive breeding however is easy for these species and may allow a sustained reintroduction into the wild again. |
Status
| Species Status | Native |
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| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Endangered (EN) [2008] |
Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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