A colourful, fully winged Malaysian stick insect that’s as eye‑catching as it is active.
 
Anarchodes annulipes comes from the warm, humid forests of Malaysia, where it lives high in the vegetation and uses both colour and flight to escape predators. Unlike most stick insects, this species is fully winged, and both males and females are capable of strong, fast flight. Their colours are surprisingly bright for a phasmid — a fresh green body, blue patches on the forewings, and vivid pink hindwings that flash when they take off. Females grow to around 9 cm, with males slightly smaller and slimmer.
 
In the wild, they feed on a variety of broad‑leaved shrubs, and this translates well into captivity. They readily accept privet, and older nymphs also feed well on Osmanthus and lilac, making them easy to maintain year‑round. Females lay long, tooth‑shaped eggs which they tap firmly into soil or substrate — a natural behaviour that’s important for successful incubation. Eggs take around five months to hatch, and nymphs grow steadily, reaching adulthood in five to six months.
 
Although striking and rewarding to keep, A. annulipes is still considered uncommon in captivity. Its long incubation time and very flighty adults mean it’s usually kept by dedicated hobbyists rather than beginners. With good ventilation, steady humidity, and a secure enclosure, it thrives well and displays its full range of colours and behaviours.