Incredible Insects in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Shopping & retail

Incredible Insects

Locality: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Address: Harcourt Street Weetangera 2614 Canberra, ACT, Australia

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18.01.2022 Facts about spiny leaf insects: They hatch out of eggs very small, about the size of a 5c coin and head straight for the nearest eucalyptus tree. They behave and even look like ants, so birds leave them alone. Over the next couple of months they eat eucalyptus leaves and grow quickly. They do this by moulting (ecdysis) out of their exoskeleten and emerging bigger. This is whey they appear to grow massively overnight - because they do! If you are watching at the right time, y...ou may see the insect emerge from their old exoskelent and even see an empty perfectly formed one hanging from the leaves. There are on average 5 - 6 moults before a stick insect reaches full adult size. All females lay eggs, even if there is not a male to mate with. If a female does not mate, she will simply clone herself in the eggs so all her offspring will be the same as their mum - all girls. If a female does mate with a male, then the offspring will be a mixture of male and female and the eggs will hatch quicker (3-6 months) compared to the clone eggs (up to 18 months). In a further nod to girl power, the girls are twice as big as the males and can also live twice as long. Stick insects don't drink water, but do get their moisture from the eucalyptus leaves so you will need to spray these regularly and the leaves need to be changed weekly or when they dry out, so they remain fresh and easy for the insects to eat.

17.01.2022 Available to buy: Nymphs - these insects are 1 week to approximately 1 month old. They have either moulted once or not at all. They are about the sizse of a 5c coin. These are $4 each or 3 for $10

17.01.2022 Available to buy: Adults - fully grown or almost fully grown - these insects are now several months old and their gender is very obvious. The males have long bodies and wings and can fly and are about 10cm. The female have soft spikes along their tale and are twice the size of the males. She has tiny wings but cannot fly. They are very easy to handle. If the girls are not yet laying eggs they will soon. These insects are $10 each. In the pictures below there is a male and a female. Can you guess which one is which? Here is a hint - the males are often darker then the females

16.01.2022 My favourite little sticky Blondie (named because she is so much lighter in colour than her sisters) moulted overnight, going from about 4cm to 10cm! Here she is munching on her exoskeleton she just moulted from, taking in the important nutrients to help her grow. What amazing little creatures.

15.01.2022 These four are getting ready to go to their new home this morning. In the picture are two female "teenagers" and two male "toddlers". They will be collected soon contact free. We have less than 20 insects left (mostly nymphs) so make sure you get your orders in soon.

15.01.2022 These insects have been great entertainment for our family while we are all at home in isolation - we offer contact free same day pick up so you can welcome some into your family as well. All you need is an enclosure (there are several available - you can use one made entirely of mesh, use a terrarium or even an old fishtank on its side with mesh or netting covering a section to allow ventilation), a spray water bottle and access to eucalytus leaves. We would suggest buying a minimum of 2 or 3 insects. Can you spot the stick insect in the picture below?. This little lady kept the kids company while they did some school work last term.

13.01.2022 Available to buy: Toddlers to Teenagers - these insects are approximately 6 weeks to several months old. They look more like traditonal stick insects and less like ants. You can now tell what gender they are. They have moulted several times and are anywhere from 2 - 6cm long. At this age they move slower than nymphs and are easier to handle. They are $7 each or 3 for $20.

12.01.2022 DID YOU KNOW .... spiny leaf insects make great pets for teachers and the classroom. I have be been told that they are allowed to be kept in ACT classrooms (teachers would need to confirm this with their school) They are easy care and because they grow quickly, students can see them grow over a term or longer. It also teaches kids responsibility as students can take turns spraying the leaves each day and collecting gum leaves. Better yet, they can be left at schools over th...e weekend with no problems as leaves only need to be changed weekly or when they dry out. We have sold quite a few of these creatures to teachers from ACT schools, get in contact with us today if you would like to find out more information or to purchase.

08.01.2022 Want to know more about these amazing native australian creatures? Scientific Name Extatosoma tiaratum Appearance...Continue reading

02.01.2022 How many stick insects do you see in this photo (apart from the smaller ones in the background)? If you answered 2, you would be.... WRONG What you are actually looking at is a female stick insect who has just moulted - that is shredded her exoskeleton to grow. ... Crazy to see this perfectly formed (and slightly smaller) empty exoskeleton hanging. But if you came back in 30 mins the exoskeleton would be gone. Can you guess what will happen to it?

02.01.2022 Have you discovered the gorgeous, friendly, cheap and easy to keep and very interesting spiny leaf insects yet? we currently have lots of these creatures available, from 1 week to a few months old. Contact free pick up from Page, Belconnen. Arguably the cheapest pets to keep, all you need is an enclosure, a spray bottle and access to eucalyptus leaves.