The Giant Malaysian Leaf Insect (Phyllium giganteum) is a large Asian insect featured in the Southeast Asia Animal Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.
Zoopedia Description
General[]
Population In The Wild: Unknown
The giant Malaysian leaf insect is a large species of insect that lives in the Western tropical rainforests of Malaysia. This species exhibits extraordinary camouflage. As its name suggests, it has evolved to blend in with the leaves of the trees in which it lives. Females are 4.8in in length, broad and flat in appearance and have small vestigial wings that do not allow them to fly. Males are approximately 3.6in in length and much more slender. They have long wings and can fly.
Social[]
These insects are solitary but very passive, so can be kept together. They should not be kept with other large herbivorous insects because they could be eaten due to their lack of movement and leaf-like appearance.
Reproduction[]
Females are fully grown at 7 months and reach sexual maturity at 8 months old. Females are parthenogenetic, meaning they can lay viable eggs without needing to mate. The female will lay approximately 40 eggs at a rate of 1-2 per day.
Mating habits of this species are little known because the males have been so rarely observed, so some gaps in knowledge here have been filled in by looking at other species in the Phyllium genus.
Males will search for females when in flight. When a receptive female is found, he will land and mate with her. Fertilized eggs are laid in the same way as unfertilized eggs, at a rate of 1-2 day and buried in the ground. Eggs will hatch 6-9 months after being laid.
Male young will go through 6 molts, females will go through 7. They will have approximately 1 molt per month until they are fully grown.
Animal Care
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Trivia
Zoopedia Fun Facts[]
- The giant Malaysian leaf insect is very docile and spends most of its time still and unreactive, which further improves it camouflage.
- The giant Malaysian leaf insect lives in the Taman Negara rainforest which is 130 million years old and one of the oldest rainforests in the world.
- While molting, the giant Malaysian leaf insect is very vulnerable and can easily die if the temperate or humidity of the environment are not ideal, or if they are touched while their bodies are still soft. This can make raising them in captivity difficult.
- Females do not require males to reproduce and can breed asexually, but all the offspring will be female in this case.
- The first male giant Malaysian leaf insect was not discovered until 1994, therefore comparatively little is known about the males of this species.
Other Trivia[]
- The Giant Malaysian Leaf Insect was the first arthropod to be added into the game post-launch.
Gallery
