A newly identified stick insect (Acrophylla alta) has been found to weigh almost as much as a golf ball and could be the heaviest insect in Australia, according to scientists.
It was initially identified as a potential new species when Ross Coupland, a wildlife expert and co-author of the paper describing the new species, was sent a photo of the insect via social media.
Prompted by this unusual photo, Coupland and co-author Professor Angus Emmott from James Cook University spent many nights searching for one in the high-altitude rainforests of the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland, Australia.
Their efforts were rewarded with the finding a large female. It was high up in the canopy and required a stick to get it down. When examined closely, the researchers became more certain that it was an undescribed species.
The female was taken to Emmott’s home, where it was then kept in a cage and fed. During this time, it laid some eggs – which were key to confirming its status as a species new to science, as every species’ eggs are different.
“Every species of stick insect has their own distinct egg style,” says Emmott. “They've all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes. Even the caps on them are all very unique.”
The accolade for Australia’s heaviest insect had been held by the giant burrowing cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros), which is native to Queensland as well, and is also the world’s heaviest cockroach species. It can weigh up to 35g, however this new stick insect weighed in at around 44g – beating the cockroach by almost 10g.
“There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they're fairly light bodied,” says Emmott. “From what we know to date, this is Australia's heaviest insect.”
Two specimens of the species have been added to the Queensland Museum. As yet, the scientists haven’t found a male, and it could be particularly difficult as stick insects are typically sexually dimorphic – males and females look very different and it can be hard to work out which belong to the same species.
Top image: stick insect (Acrophylla alta). Credit: Ross M. Coupland, co-author of the study
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