Egg (phasmatodea)

Phasmatodea, "like a ghost", resembles twigs leaves and sometimes resembles lichen. "The egg is oval with 5 parts making the egg", the "capitulum"-small nob on end of egg, "operculum"-the ring holding the capitulum and is in between the shell and the capitulum. The shell which is the larger oval shaped part to the egg has the nymph and the sheet separating the yolk and the shell to which the nymph emerges from the connected "oper" and "capitulum", sometimes when the nymph emerges, say the "tropidoderus childrenii" when the nymph hatches with the egg still attached to the hind legs causing leg dis-formation.

Biology

Females flick the eggs one after the other, often with a flick of the abdomen to fling the egg like a projectile to [seize more areas. An individual female lays her eggs at a rate of one to several a-day and she can lay 100 and 1,300 eggs in her life-time (depending on species). The eggs simply fall to the ground awaiting the seasons then hatching.

Phasmid eggs are mainly oval, and extremely seed-like with an amazing array of fascinating textures and ornamentation. Many also look like tiny urns with lids, having an "operculum" (above) below a small nob like fatty tab called the "capitulum" (above). The eggs with professional research have shown to lure in ants, to take them down to the refinery where they will await the seasons. The rate of wasp and other parasitic flies etc will not have an impact on the eggs in the ants nest. Many seeds from wattles, have a similar removable structure rich in fats (elaiosomes) that attract ants. Incubation times vary giantly; some hatch within weeks while others remain dormant for some years.

Related pages

Brisbane insects