Sub Family: Necrosciinae

Foodplant in captivity:  Hypericum mostly, with Rhododendron sometimes being given to the adults.

Humidity requirements:  I believe this species prefers to be raised in a ventilated but humid cage - for my adults I am using a tall plastic ice-cream tub which has a plastic-grid lid, and I try to remember to spray the leaves each evening.  On the base of their cage I leave a thin layer of damp sand, and I allow the ova to incubate on this as opposed to transferring them to a dedicated plastic tub.

Comment:  This is one of the most beautiful phasmid species ever (in my opinion!). When disturbed, Pseudodiacantha macklottii flashes its fantastically-coloured hindwings (seen in both adult females and males), and also releases an odorous chemical that smells somewhat of pine needles.

 I first obtained a single egg-laden female which was kindly given to me at a recent PSG meeting.  It is common to see an ovum sitting on the end of the female's ovipositor, which she carries there for a while before dropping it to the ground; unfortunately I was unable to get any of her ova to hatch out. 

I then purchased an adult pair, the female of which lived for several months.  Just after her death, a nymph hatched out from the ova that were left on damp sand at the bottom of her cage.