Eurycantha Calcarata (Giant Spiny Stick Insect)

PSG22 Eurycantha calcarata

Common name: Giant Spiny/Papua New Guinea/Spiny Devil S/I

Subfamily: Eurycanthinae

Origin: Papua New Guinea

Adult size (mm): F-125 M- 100

Food plants: Bramble, Ivy, Oak, Laurel, Hypericum…these eat almost anything

Description: Large spiny species. Dark chocolate brown, verging on black. Sexes similar, males smaller, and have two very large spines on their two back femurs, used defensively. Their two back legs are very muscular because of this. Females are much more gentle than males, and don’t have the two femur spins. However, they do have a ovipositor for burring their ova. These are large and grey-brown.

Comment: Not recommended for young children due to the aggressiveness of males, although they are usual quite placid, providing gentle handling. If there are more males than females, then they will fight for dominance. They spend all day piled on top of one another in dark places. Keep humid and warm, and provide a substrate or a box filled with substrate that is suitable for the females to lay ova- this will also aid in keeping up humidity. Males, as mentioned previously, are very territorial and one will usually be dominant, often the largest. When I clean them out, my dominant male will always come out to see what I’m doing. They like to drink, and some recommend providing a dish of water, however, I only spray heavily once a week.