Leaf insects are a group of tropical insects whose main defence against predators is that they look like leaves. Indeed their camoflage is so realistic that at least one zoo has actually taken them off display over the years because so many visitors believed the cage was empty.

Indeed, not only do leaf insects closely resemble leaves but they are also nocturnal so they are unlikely to move during the day unless disturbed. When leaf insects do move, they are even more cryptic in that they walk in a most unnatural way so as to look like a leaf blowing in the wind which means they can keep up their disguise even when moving.

Hailing from the jungles of south east Asia, leaf insects make a great alternative to stick insects though generally speaking the care is rather similar. However one does normally find that leaf insects are a little more fragile and require rather more careful captive care than the average Indian stick insect.

Leaf insects make fascinating pets that captivate with their ability to resemble a leaf so accurately and once you have their cage set up correctly they are reasonably simple pets to keep. They make no noise and only require feeding and cleaning once or twice a week so take minimal time too.

In short, if you are looking for a pet that is a little different, yet is reasonably easy to look after and requires minimal time and effort then you would be well to consider a pet leaf insect.

Housing:

There are currently no commercial leaf insect cages on the market though leaf insect cages from specialist suppliers can be used.

Cages can be made out of a variety of materials – mainly plastic, glass or mesh. Mesh is popular among butterfly breeders and so these cages are often found for sale at specialist suppliers. However appreciate that leaf insects like a warm, humid environment and so a mesh cage may make it difficult to maintain this environment.

I would therefore suggest plastic or glass containers, with plastic being my personal favorite because it is more durable and lighter weight.

Many containers intended for use around the home can be employed as leaf insect cages such as clear plastic tupperware boxes, shoeboxes or old fish tanks.

Ensure that some ventilation is available in the cage. For larger insects one can bore some holes in a plastic container using a soldering iron but baby leaf insects are tiny and may manage to escape from such holes. In these cases you can use some gauze (net curtain material works well) across the top of the cage to prevent moisture building up.

Leaf insects move around a reasonable amount at night and need space to change their skins successfully so a cage should be as large as you can manage. And of course the more insects you house, the larger the cage should be.

Environmental Conditions:

Leaf insects like a warm, moist environment so aim to provide this. While they may be fine during the summer months without heating, I tend to provide mine with some artificial heating during the winter to tide them over. A heat mat intended for reptiles is cheap, easy and safe to use and you can simply place your leaf insect cage half on it and you’re done.

Aim to spray the cage with tepid water every few days to increase the humidity and allow your pets to drink from the droplets.

Feeding:

The most popular food of leaf insects in captivity is bramble (blackberry) which can be found even during winter so is an ideal food. Just watch yourself on those thorns when collecting it!

Other people have reported success with a variety of other food plants such as oak but personally I have never had any luck with these.

Out of water you will need to change bramble 2-3 times a week which can make cleaning out harder than necessary. If you place your leaf insects into a big enough cage you can place the stems of the bramble into a jar of water which will keep the food alive for a week or more, thus cutting down on the work you have to do to maintain them.

Handling:

Leaf insects are fragile creatures and can easily lose legs. I have never had a leaf insect show any aggression towards me and so the main concern is the health of the insect when handling.

Leaf insects can be gently coaxed onto the hand and then the hand should be kept low over another surface – a bed is ideal – so that should the insect fall then it will not damamge itself.

Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling.

Daily maintenance is essentially zero with it just being necessary to change the food plant and possibly spray the plant once or twice a week. Apart from this leaf insects require no care whatsoever.

So when it comes to leaf insect care, let’s take a closer look at the caging requirements.

Size:

Leaf insects grow rapidly in captivity when kept correctly and it can take only a matter of 4-6 months to go from a newborn insect to a mature adult. This means that you may want to use a variety of different sized cages over this time.

The most important thing is that leaf insects need space to move around, eat and change their skins so a decent sized cage is wise. This should be several times the height and width of the insect and the more leaf insects you plan on keeping together the larger the container should be.

Adults should be kept in a cage of 18″ square at least to enable you to include enough food plant as they are voracious eaters and will get through food at an alarming rate as adults.

Personally I start off youngsters in a clear plastic shoebox with some ventilation holes drilled in. I find that the enclosed space helps to keep humidity up because drying out is one fo the biggest killers of baby leaf insects.

Then when half grown I move my insects up into an adult cage of around 18″ deep by 18″ wide by 24″ high which provides plenty of space for mating abd changing skins.

Design:

Leaf insects are rainforest animals which enjoy a warm, humid environment so the cage you provide should reflect this.

Equally a stagnant cage with stale air can lead to mould and fungus and respiratory problems for your insects.

So the ideal cage contains enough holes to allow some air to escape but not so much that the humidity never rises and they are difficult to heat.

Whilst professional cages are available for leaf insects, which will do a perfect job, one can also reuse other items – such as tupperware boxes or sweet jars – and either use some gauze or create holes using a soldering iron to provide some ventilation.

Environment:

Keep the cage warm and moist. This means in the colder areas of the world that leaf insects need to be kept indoors in a heated room during the winter. An ideal temperature is around 25′C for your insects so even a centrally heated room may not be warm enough over winter.

I therefore personally use a reptile heater which provides gentle background heat and keeps my insects warm. I use a plant spray gun to spray the leaves from time to time, thus keeping up the humidity (making life easier for moulting) and allowing the leaf insects to drink from the dorplets.

Should you have any questions which aren’t answered here please feel free to leave a comment at the end of this article and I will try my best to get back to you with a response.

1) How long does it take for leaf insect eggs to hatch?

The time that it takes for leaf insect eggs to hatch varies with the temperature they are kept at. The warmer the eggs are kept, the sooner they will hatch. A period of 3-4 months between laying and hatching is normal but it can take quite a bit longer so don’t go igivng up on those eggs just yet.

2) Are leaf insects dangerous?

No leaf insects are harmless to humans. Unlike some of the stick insect species which have hard bodies covered with spikes and can draw blood when annoyed, leaf insects are fragile, gentle creatures who are unable to do any harm when handled.

3) How long do leaf insects live?

Like most insects, leaf insects are reasonably short lived and you can expect your insects to live no more than a year or two.

4) What temperature should leaf insects be kept at?

Leaf insects come from the tropical regions of the world and because of this they like to be kept warm and moist. A temperature around 20-25′C suits them perfectly.

5) Where do you buy leaf insects?

Leaf insects are still rather unusual pets and so it is unusual for a petshop to stock them. Generally one needs to get them off a specialist insect supplier or breeder. I search on the internet is likely to bring the best results.

The reason is that these breeders typically focus their time on their leaf insects and so have a huge amount of knowledge on the subject. As an example, when I was looking to get my first leaf insects I found a breeder who was selling leaf insect eggs and he was happy to spend 15 minutes with me, talking through the care of the eggs and how to get them to hatch. This is something I was unlikely to get in a busy pet store where I might just have been told to look it up!

Furthermore, not only can you meet some very interesting people in this way, but it can be good to have a “contact” to speak to should you have any questions about yout pets in the future.

Typically leaf insects are sold as adult specimens and this is arguably the best time to buy them. Young leaf insects can be quite fussy and the death rate can be quite high though the closer to maturity a leaf insect gets the tougher and easier to look after it becomes. Just check with the supplier whether they are wild caught or captive bred.

As already mentioned, you are best to buy from a specialist breeder rather than a general pet store. The internet can be an ideal place to search for leaf insect suppliers. Alternatively find somewhere close to you – such as a zoo or butterfly house – that actually has leaf insects on display and ask for advice on where to buy them.

Many zoos buy from private breeders so they may well be able to put you in touch with someone reliable.

Once you have found a list of suppliers hopefully you will manage to find at least one person who has some available. Remember that given the choice you should select the largest insects possible because the younger insects can be quite fragile. As a beginner you sould do best to buy adults as they are far more hardy.

When it comes to actually buying the insects, remember that leaf insects can lose legs but these will grow back over time. Therefore do not be too worried if you see some specimens that are minus legs, or have some legs smaller than others.

Many breeders will offer to ship leaf insects to your door via the mail system and this can work fine. Be aware however that as leaf insects are quite fragile there may be problems with this method and I would generally recommend that you actually go to collect your leaf insects.

Place them in a small container on the way home and have their cage set up and ready so you can put them straight in when you arrive home.