Malayan Jungle Nymph

Heteropteryx dilatata (Parkinson, 1798) belongs to Heteropterygidae in Phasmatodea. The 2016 revision recognizes it as the sole described species of Heteropteryx. [1][2]

Females are bright green or yellow and have spines on the upper abdominal segments. Their hindwings are translucent pink. Males have a shortened middle thorax and dull pink hindwings; their brown body resembles a curled dead leaf. [1][3]

The elevated, conical head extends backward over the front margin of the pronotum. This feature helps distinguish Heteropteryx from the related genus Haaniella. [1]

The revision documents Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra and northeastern Borneo. In Malaysia, the species inhabits tropical rainforest. [1][3]

Females deposit eggs in the ground. Cincinnati Zoo reports hatching after about a year in its species account. [3]

Cincinnati Zoo maintains this leaf-eating insect on guava foliage in captivity. [3]

When threatened, the insect can close its spiny hind legs around the disturbance, clamping the source of contact between the spines. [3]

Parkinson described the species as Phasma dilatatum in 1798. The female holotype is held in the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney. [2]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.