Philippine Leaf Insect

🔤 Taxonomy

Phyllium philippinicum Hennemann, Conle, Gottardo & Bresseel, 2009 is the accepted name and PSG culture 278. Older sale lists often call the culture “Phyllium sp. Philippines,” and many animals once sold as P. siccifolium were this Philippine culture. Preserve the PSG number and locality line; “leaf insect” alone is not an identification.

📌 Description

Adult females are broad and usually 7.5-8 cm; males are slender, about 5.5-6 cm, with functional wings. They are harmless plant eaters, yet more delicate than their robust appearance suggests. Tiny hatchlings drown in large droplets, legs detach when pulled, and crowded animals may nibble one another when food or space is poor.


Adult size	males 5.5-6 cm; females 7.5-8 cm
Small-group enclosure	at least 30 x 30 x 45 cm
Day / night	20-25°C / 18-21°C
Humidity	60-80% with continuous airflow
Food	pesticide-free accepted leaves, always available
Egg incubation	20-25°C; about 120-180 days

🌍 Distribution

The species is Philippine. PSG 278 descends from stock collected around Subic, Zambales, Luzon; verified GBIF observations also occur in Zambales and Bataan. Outdoor climate tables describe the seasonal setting, not a command to reproduce daily tropical weather inside a cage.

Range map

🌡 Climate across the native range

Monthly climate normals from reviewed GBIF occurrence locations:

Bataan — Philippines

View location on Google Maps

Month	Min °C	Mean °C	Max °C	RH %
January	22.9	25.4	28.8	76
February	23	25.9	29.7	74
March	23.9	27.1	31.2	72
April	25.3	28.6	32.6	72
May	25.9	28.4	31.6	80
June	25.5	27.4	30	87
July	25.1	26.7	29	89
August	25	26.5	28.6	90
September	24.9	26.5	28.9	90
October	24.7	26.8	29.6	85
November	24.6	26.7	29.6	81
December	23.8	26	29	78

Zambales — Philippines

View location on Google Maps

Month	Min °C	Mean °C	Max °C	RH %
January	14.5	17.8	22.1	78
February	14.8	18.4	23	75
March	15.8	19.6	24.5	74
April	17.3	20.9	25.4	75
May	18.3	20.9	24.7	82
June	18.2	20.3	23.5	88
July	17.9	19.7	22.6	90
August	17.9	19.5	22.2	91
September	17.7	19.5	22.5	90
October	17.2	19.6	22.9	87
November	16.6	19.3	22.8	83
December	15.6	18.5	22.2	81

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · CC BY 4.0 · Monthly normals calculated by Herpeton Academy from daily archive values.

Location references use GBIF.org occurrence data where available; original occurrence records retain their source dataset licenses.

⚖️ Legal status

Checked on 2026-08-30: the species is not listed in CITES or the EU wildlife-trade annexes, and the Bern Convention is not relevant. No entry under this name was found on the current EU Union list of invasive alien species. Plant-feeding insects may nevertheless be treated as potential agricultural pests, with permits or prohibitions for import and movement.

Local and national rules may therefore still restrict possession, transport, breeding, or sale. Retain invoices, breeder and PSG-line details, and import documents. In the United States, USDA APHIS directs keepers to check PPQ 526 requirements for plant-feeding insects. Regardless of country, freeze or securely destroy surplus eggs and used foliage; never release insects, eggs, substrate, or food stems outdoors.

🤌 Husbandry

A 30 x 30 x 45 cm fine-mesh or cross-ventilated enclosure is a practical minimum for a small mixed-age group. Reduce stocking if animals touch while hanging or show bite marks. Hatchlings need a nursery with finer seams and tender established food, not an oversized wet display tank.

Quarantine new stock and host plants. Keep tools separate, watch for mites and pesticides, and confirm feeding marks before mixing a new food plant into the main colony.

💡 Lighting

UVB is not required. Provide bright indirect light and 10-12 hours of day. Avoid direct sun and hot lamps; males can fly and nymphs climb to the warmest roof area, where overheating occurs first.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Keep the main air temperature around 20-25°C, with 18-21°C at night. Brief upper warmth of 25-26°C is enough; constant high heat speeds development and can shorten adult life. Measure the leafy upper half and maintain a cooler retreat.

💧 Humidity and water

Aim for 60-80% humidity and 70-85% locally near a molt, combined with airflow and a drying interval. Mist a wall or leaves finely, preferably after lights dim. Do not spray hatchlings directly or leave large beads of water: L1 nymphs can become stuck and drown. No open water dish is needed.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Food branches are the main furniture. Anchor stems in water through a tightly sealed lid so no insect can enter the container. Provide grippy mesh and clear vertical space of at least three adult body lengths beneath the roof. Paper towel simplifies quarantine and egg collection; a thin coir layer is acceptable only if kept clean and airy.

Never pull an insect from a leaf. Move the whole leaf, use a soft brush for hatchlings, and leave premolt animals undisturbed. Remove obstacles beneath hanging insects and separate overcrowded cohorts.

🥗 Feeding plants

Reliable captive foods include bramble/blackberry and raspberry (Rubus), rose, oak, hazel, and guava. Offer only correctly identified, pesticide-free leaves collected away from busy roads and sprayed crops. Test a new plant alongside the accepted one until feeding damage is clear.

Keep foliage fresh at all times. Use mature green bramble leaves rather than very soft, hairy new growth for young nymphs. Do not use florist bouquets or houseplants of unknown treatment. Supplements are unnecessary.

🥚 Breeding and eggs

Males can mate about two to three weeks after the final molt. Females drop two or three seed-like eggs daily over many weeks and can also produce female offspring parthenogenetically. Incubate at 20-25°C on an airy, barely moist medium; never let eggs sit wet. Hatching usually begins after about 120-180 days.

Prepare for rapid population growth. Vent egg boxes, remove mold promptly without washing the eggs in chemicals, and label generation, date, culture line, and whether parents were present.

🧍 Handling and safety

This is a display species. Let an adult walk onto a leaf or hand over a soft surface. Males may fly, hatchlings run quickly, and all stages can lose legs when grasped. Count animals before and after maintenance and work inside a second closed room or large tub.

🩺 Common problems

Failed molt or bent limbs → insufficient hanging space, dehydration, poor grip, crowding, or disturbance.
Hatchlings not feeding → tough or unfamiliar foliage, low hydration, pesticide exposure, or poor ventilation.
Missing limb or chewed margin → handling injury, crowding, hunger, or mixed-species housing.
Moldy eggs and mite blooms → wet incubation medium, food debris, or stagnant air.
Sudden colony losses → suspect pesticide-contaminated leaves first; remove the food and improve ventilation immediately.

📌 Conclusion

The Philippine leaf insect is manageable only when fresh safe foliage, fine ventilation, and molt height are available every day. Egg control and non-release planning belong in the setup before the first female matures.