Urgent! Stickbug hatched in winter!

[Mystymantis]

I found a female stickbug in the Fall which laid some eggs... and today I looked into my incubator and saw a baby stickbug! This is bad because it is winter and there is NO food out! What can I feed the little guy? is there anything that it will eat? I know stickbugs generally eat oak leaves, which is what I have fed adults in the past. But what possibly can I feed it with no food out?

Also it surprised me because I thought stickbug eggs don't hatch for several months, much more then only this few since Fall. I was expecting the eggs to hatch, if at all, much later like in the summer!

 

[unicycle281]

Rose and blackberry are also good foods to try. Some garden stores might have these plants available still depending on your location

 

[CosbyArt]

@Mystymantis In nature the ova (walkingstick egg) is given diapause (cold temperatures outside) to delay hatching until late spring. Without diapause they will hatch in a few months or less depending on the species.

Food depends on the species as they eat different leaf species, some do overlap see here. Your best option is to identify what species the mother was so you can properly feed the nymph. As your location is not given, here is a common species list in the US; otherwise, search online for your country/area.

You will need to search your garden centers, local greenhouses, and such for plants. You can try online, but the delay to have it shipped may be too late for the nymph. If you do find leaves rip small tears into several leaves - this gives the small nymph a place to eat from (they have trouble ripping the leaves outer edge to eat at L1).

For general care, housing, food, etc here is a good resource, and another. Best of luck.

 

[Mystymantis]

@CosbyArt Thanks so much for all the tips! I put them into incubation not really thinking they would hatch out earlier with warmer temps and no diapuase, but yeah that totally makes sense, the fact that stickbug eggs in nature diapause in the winter, which I totally know but for some reason didn't think about it for the eggs. LOL! I am pretty sure the stickbug is the Northern walkingstick.

There is no chance to put the rest of the eggs in daipause, right? Since one hatched the others probably are already on their way to hatching right?

 

[CosbyArt]

@CosbyArt Thanks so much for all the tips! I put them into incubation not really thinking they would hatch out earlier with warmer temps and no diapuase, but yeah that totally makes sense, the fact that stickbug eggs in nature diapause in the winter, which I totally know but for some reason didn't think about it for the eggs. LOL! I am pretty sure the stickbug is the Northern walkingstick.

There is no chance to put the rest of the eggs in daipause, right? Since one hatched the others probably are already on their way to hatching right?

Your welcome, it happens to us all at some point it seems, rather it be a "old" mantid ooth or whatever.

For the Northern walkingstick (Diapheromera fermorata) their native food sources are Black Oak, White Oak, Willow Oak, Black Locust, Virginia Rose, Sassafras, Black Cherry, Red Clover (links show many photos and details of the plants as found from this Northern walkingstick's great source). From the list a cherry tree is one of the few options that can be readily purchased, but typically at $35-$50 for a small tree of just a few dozen leaves at most, is not a great one. That gives the last option of a rose plant being the best bet.

Yes the rest of the ova (eggs) are likely ready to hatch anytime as well. Diapause now would cause very few if any to hatch later; however, if you are unable to feed them then it might be worth risking diapause. The choice of course is up to you, but it may be more humane to try diapause until you can feed them versus the nymphs starving if they hatch now.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

It's probably too late for that little guy now, but you could try bringing hostplant branches inside and forcing them with water so they sprout leaves. If any more hatch you could feed them that way.

 

[Mystymantis]

The little guy is still alive . He is currently feeding on weeds from my garden.  He likes chickweed and wild strawberry leaves, thankfully as those are about the only green things out right now in the winter!

 

[CosbyArt]

The little guy is still alive . He is currently feeding on weeds from my garden.  He likes chickweed and wild strawberry leaves, thankfully as those are about the only green things out right now in the winter!

I'm really glad to hear you found something it would eat and is still alive.

Did you have any other hatch or did you diapause the other ova?

 

[Mystymantis]

I put the other eggs in the garage to diapause them because I didn't want them to hatch, since I didn't know if I would find anything for the little guy to eat.

 

[CosbyArt]

I put the other eggs in the garage to diapause them because I didn't want them to hatch, since I didn't know if I would find anything for the little guy to eat.

Likely the best option, and hopefully your have more hatch when it warms up and you have more plants to feed from.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I might of missed it, if u r in us, get ahold of Nick Barta, he has food, https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Wild strawberry leaves are a good idea... i should try those with my phasmids.