Giant 40cm Stick Insect Discovered in Aussie Rainforest
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Okay, so get this — scientists in Australia have just discovered what might be the heaviest insect ever found in the country. It’s a stick insect, but not your average backyard twig mimic. This one’s massive . Named Acrophylla alta , this giant measures about 40 centimeters long — that’s roughly the length from your fingertip to your elbow — and weighs around 44 grams, which is just about the same as a golf ball or even a hen’s egg. Pretty hefty for a bug!
The discovery was made in the high-altitude rainforests of Far North Queensland, specifically around the Atherton Tablelands area. The stick insect was actually spotted up in the canopy — way above head level — and had to be coaxed down with a long pole. That alone says a lot about how elusive this species is. It’s believed that the reason it went unnoticed for so long is simply because of how remote and high-up its habitat is. Unless a strong storm or a bird brings one down from the treetops, most people would never even know it's there.
Professor Angus Emmott from James Cook University played a key role in identifying the insect, along with researcher Ross Coupland. Interestingly, it all started with a social media post — someone uploaded a photo of the insect, and it immediately caught Coupland’s eye. That led to several nights of searching before the team finally found a female specimen between Millaa Millaa and Mount Hypipamee.
What helped confirm that it was a new species were its eggs. Apparently, every stick insect species has its own unique egg style — different shapes, textures, even surface pitting. Those little details were crucial in determining that this wasn’t just a large variant of an already-known species, but something entirely new to science.
Now here’s the fun part — scientists still haven’t found a male. Male stick insects tend to be slimmer, more camouflaged, and sometimes even look so different from the females that they’re mistaken for a completely different species. To confirm a male and female are the same species, researchers would ideally catch them… well, mating. Only then can they link the eggs back and be certain.
This discovery is a big deal, not just because of the insect’s size, but also because it highlights how much of Australia’s biodiversity is still undocumented. Some experts estimate that up to 70% of insect species in Australia haven’t even been scientifically described yet. So who knows what else is lurking high in those rainforest canopies?
It just goes to show — sometimes the biggest discoveries are hiding right above our heads.
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