Husbandry Manual Goliath Stick Insect - Nswfmpa.org

Husbandry Manual for Eurycnema goliath
Tara Bearman
A diet made up of the above food plants is quite apt for goliath stick insects as these are species
that they would be found eating in the wild. Some of these species are introduced species,
showing that the goliath stick insect has adapted well with a changing environment. The above
food plant species can be cultivated (See section 6.7 Plant Propagation) and are sustainable in
the Australian climate therefore allowing for captive animal institutions to easily create their own
plantations to reduce food competition with wild phasmids and other leaf eating species.
Other plant species that have been eaten in captivity (Stables, 2001) include:
- Beech,
- Cherry,
- Fuchsia,
- Apple,
- Cinnamon,
- Ferns (Bracken),
- Grasses,
- Guava,
- Hazel,
- Ivy,
- Manuka,
- Privet,
- Palms,
- Hypericum,
- Leguma,
- Robinia,
- Willow,
- Sweet Chestnut,
- Rhododendron.
Approximate Cost of Diet per Animal
Estimating that a small stem of 10 medium sized leaves (quantity per day per adult insect) weighs
approximately 150g.
The quantity involved in feeding this animal for one year is 365 small branches of approximately 10
medium sized leaves or approximately 54.75Kg of leaf matter.
Estimated cost of feeding per day is $5.00 - $7.00.
This includes the cost of:
- Staff wages - for personnel who must maintain the plantations; and, for the keeper time
required in collecting, preparing, installing and removing any food.
- Maintenance costs (not including personnel) - such as fertilizer, water, mechanical
equipment, transport vehicles and the fuel to operate that equipment/vehicles.
Total cost involved in feeding one animal for one year is approximately $1800 - $2500. For every
additional animal the increase in cost per animal would only be small.
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