Mentha spicata var. spicata (L. 1753) and Raphanus sativus var. sativus (L. 1753) : survival meal for Medauroidea extradentata (Brunner von Wattenwyl 1907) (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae)

Gabriel Olive (1) , Jean-Yves Zimmer (2) , Gilles Olive (1)

1 EICVN - Ecole Industrielle et Commerciale de la Ville de Namur
2 Hexapoda

When food shortages for a stick insect breeding of the species Medauroidea extradentata, feeding trials were conducted with spearmint (Mentha spicata var. spicata). Contrary to what was expected, the stems were eaten more than the leaves. In addition, four specimens of this species were found after surviving without water or food other than radish plants (Raphanus sativus var. sativus). So it seems that M. extradentata is able to adapt its diet in order to survive. To prove this hypothesis, two controlled experiments were performed: a precise number of stick insects were brought into contact with spearmint branches or radish leaves. It appears that some specimens of the species M. extradentata are able to survive on spearmint or radish plants, thereby increasing the number of plant species currently known as a food resource for this stick insect species.

Mots clés: Raphanus sativus; Medauroidea extradentata; survival meal; Mentha spicata

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés

Gabriel Olive, Jean-Yves Zimmer, Gilles Olive. Mentha spicata var. spicata (L. 1753) and Raphanus sativus var. sativus (L. 1753) : survival meal for Medauroidea extradentata (Brunner von Wattenwyl 1907) (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae). Communications in Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, 2016, 81 (1), pp.190-193. ⟨hal-01270314⟩