🪲 jay
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phasmid.bsky.social
🪲 jay
@phasmid.bsky.social
32 followers 10 following 190 posts
Hobbyist arthropod breeder/keeper.
He/him, 23, based in Ireland.
All my original posts provide alt text!

• Indian stick insects
• Millipedes: Spirostreptus sp. 1
• Blue death feigning beetles
• Dairy cow isopods
Posts Replies Media Videos
phasmid.bsky.social
Jujube the little klutz
Death feigning beetles have got to be the clumsiest animals i’ve ever seen
January 12, 2025 at 6:15 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
Blueberry and Jujube have been getting along well!
A photo of two blue death feigning beetles in their enclosure. The larger female beetle is standing on the off white sand substrate. There is a small 3D printed duck figurine laying on its side just behind her. The smaller male beetle is climbing up the other beetle’s thorax and resting on top of her. A cork bark log and some pieces of food are visible in the background.
January 12, 2025 at 5:59 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
now Jujube has also learned to climb to the top of the blueberry house! good job little guy!
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in his enclosure. He is climbing the side of a blue 3d printed hide shaped like a blueberry. The enclosure is filled with off-white sand substrate. As well as the blueberry-shaped hide, the enclosure contains items of decor such as a fake plant, a small plastic red and white mushroom, and a mini pool lounger.
October 8, 2024 at 7:25 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
Vanilli is fully grown now, and a very pretty peachy colour!
A photo of an adult millipede (Spirostreptus species 1) in her enclosure. A shallow red food bowl is visible in the background. The millipede is climbing along a piece of cork bark. She is peachy orange in colour with olive green bands along her body. A black and white dairy cow isopod (Porcellio laevis) is walking past the millipede.
September 25, 2024 at 1:47 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
Jujube has gotten so much more blue!
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in his enclosure. He is resting on a miniature cola bottle. A mini soda can is visible in front of the beetle. Pieces of cork bark are visible in the background. Some dried edible flower petals are scattered across the sand substrate.
September 17, 2024 at 8:19 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
meet Jujube!
some of his waxy coating got worn off in transit, but he’ll be pale blue again soon :)
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle resting on my hand. He is dark blue in colour, due to some of his waxy coating being worn off during transit.
September 11, 2024 at 12:59 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
a fasciated sunflower from my mum’s garden! (and one of her regular sunflowers for comparison)
A top-view photo of a small yellow sunflower. The flower has an abnormal growth pattern (fasciation) which has caused it to grow in a clover-leaf shape. A top-view photo of another small yellow sunflower. This sunflower is of a typical round shape, in contrast to the fasciated sunflower.
August 20, 2024 at 1:41 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
she’s on an adventure!
A close-up photo of a blue death feigning beetle on a piece of cork bark in her enclosure. A fake plant is visible from behind the cork bark.
August 14, 2024 at 9:10 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
i can’t sleep but at least i now get to watch a millipede enjoy some food!
A photo of a juvenile Tanzanian millipede (Spirostreptus species 1) feeding from a yellow 3D printed food dish. The millipede is peachy orange in colour. The dish rests on the damp substrate and contains fish food pellets and dried shrimp. Leaf litter can be seen in the background.
August 3, 2024 at 2:48 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
various animals living in my garden
A photo of a small cream and brown moth resting on blades of grass. A photo of a small brown and orange orb weaver spider resting on wooden panelling. A photo of a medium-sized brown orb weaver spider. The spider has spun a web on the side of a garden shed. A photo of a white, almost bluish arachnid resting on blades of grass.
August 3, 2024 at 12:41 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
curious little Blueberry
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle enclosure. It is filled with sand substrate and various pieces of equipment including a blue hide shaped like a blueberry, a mini cream coloured pool lounger, and a shallow grey food dish. The beetle is resting on the pool lounger. A closeup photo of the same blue death feigning beetle. She is pushing a mini soda can along the substrate. It resembles a tiny Pepsi. A mini soda bottle, a cork bark tube, and edible flower petals are visible in the background.
July 29, 2024 at 12:27 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
Cabáiste is getting big!
A photo of a juvenile Tanzanian giant millipede (Spirostreptus species 1) in their enclosure. The millipede is pale orange with black eyes. Vegetation and leaf litter are scattered across the damp substrate. A photo of the same millipede in their enclosure. The millipede is stretching upwards, wiggling his antennae. Vegetation and leaf litter are visible across the substrate.
July 28, 2024 at 11:53 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
dinner time :)
A photo of a juvenile Tanzanian millipede (Spirostreptus species 1) exploring their enclosure. The substrate is moist and contains pieces of wood and leaf litter. The millipede, which is pale orange in colour, has just found a dry shrimp and is beginning to feed.
July 26, 2024 at 8:36 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
Blueberry enjoying some dried shrimp
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in her enclosure. She is resting on white sand substrate and eating a piece of dried shrimp. She is using her two front legs to hold onto her food. A piece of cork bark can be seen to the right side of the photo.
July 20, 2024 at 8:51 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
two new stick insects that hatched earlier this week!

six more have hatched since i took the photo, this is a very prolific second generation
A photo of a translucent plastic tupperware lid resting upturned on a grey hardwood floor. Air holes are punched in the lid. Two tiny brown Indian stick insect nymphs (babies) are resting on the lid. The smaller insect on the left has dwarfism and her hind leg is still inside the egg.
July 18, 2024 at 5:41 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
lounging about :)
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle enclosure. It is filled with white sand substrate. The beetle is resting on a mini cream-coloured pool lounger. A 3D printed hide shaped like a blueberry is visible to the left of the pool lounger. A closeup photo of the blue death feigning beetle on her mini pool lounger. A small red and white plastic mushroom is placed underneath the pool lounger. A shallow grey food dish filled with crushed dry cat food and beetle jelly is visible in the background. The blueberry shaped hide is visible in the bottom corner of the photo.
July 13, 2024 at 12:36 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
death feigning beetles aren’t exactly known for being intelligent!

every so often, Blueberry checks if she’s gained the ability to climb the wall of her enclosure (she hasn’t)
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in her enclosure. The enclosure is filled with white sand substrate. The beetle is standing in her shallow grey food dish and unsuccessfully attempting to climb the wall of her enclosure. A mini pool lounger and a small fake mushroom can be seen in the background.
July 12, 2024 at 2:13 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
the first individual of my second generation of stick insects!
A photo of a tiny brown Indian stick insect nymph. She is standing on the tip of my finger with her front legs held forward.
July 5, 2024 at 1:28 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
i was handling Blueberry then she crawled off my hand onto my laptop!
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle resting on a silver laptop with a black keyboard. The keyboard has a white backlight.
July 4, 2024 at 12:52 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
i always seem to meet cats while out on a walk
A photo of a black and white tuxedo cat with orange tortoiseshell markings. She has green eyes, a black nose, and white whiskers. She is sitting on a concrete footpath while looking up at me and meowing.
July 4, 2024 at 12:50 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
it’s Blueberry’s dinner time!

today she’s having crushed dry cat food, mango beetle jelly, and a dried mealworm
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in her enclosure. She is resting on sandy substrate and eating a dried mealworm. A mini pool lounger and a fake plant are visible in the foreground. A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in her enclosure. She is resting on sandy substrate and eating mango flavour beetle jelly from a small shallow grey food dish. The dish also contains pieces of crushed dry cat food.
June 29, 2024 at 7:03 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
at one point years ago, this was one marimo!
A photo of four marimo algae balls in a glass of water. White aquarium gravel is at the bottom of the water and the marimo are surrounded by small bubbles, meaning they are photosynthesising.
June 29, 2024 at 6:59 PM
phasmid.bsky.social
i got a photo of Blueberry’s mandibles while she was eating!
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle next to a shallow grey food dish. She is pale powdery blue all over. She is feeding either on a piece of marigold stem or a grasshopper’s leg. A fake plant is visible in the foreground.
June 28, 2024 at 10:54 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
Am I a man? Or am I a Muppet?
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle in her enclosure. She is trying (and failing!) to climb the wall; and looks as though she is staring dramatically at her reflection in a window. A shallow grey food dish is just behind the beetle. A heat mat belonging to a different enclosure and a mini tub of petroleum jelly are visible outside the enclosure.
June 24, 2024 at 1:00 AM
phasmid.bsky.social
she’s getting so much enjoyment out of this hide in so many ways
A photo of a blue death feigning beetle enclosure. It contains sandy substrate and is decorated with a blueberry shaped hide, fake plants, a mini pool lounger, and cork bark. Some edible flowers are scattered around the enclosure. The beetle is resting at the very top of the blueberry hide.
June 24, 2024 at 12:54 AM