Story by Wayne Young
Australia’s heaviest known insect has recently been recorded, and it’s a completely new species of stick-insect.
The female stick-insect, or phasmid as they are known to scientists, was found in Queensland’s wet tropics in February this year. It weighed in at an impressive 44g, eclipsing the previous record set by the Giant Burrowing Cockroach, which is also found in our Gulf Savannah region.
“It was an amazing bit of serendipity really,” said Renee Young, who found the largest female. A friend gave a talk at a community conservation group on the Friday about a possible new species they were researching, and on the Sunday while working in the garden, here was this beautiful big insect just hanging about,” she said.
“Her camouflage is amazing, and I’d been weeding right under her for 15mins before I realised it wasn’t a stick hanging off the netting, and she was there!”
It’s also incredible to think that such a huge insect has gone unnoticed by science for so long.
This is most likely due to the fact these stick insects seem to live high in the canopy of high-altitude rainforest,” said Ross Coupland, the author of the scientific paper describing the new species.”
“These areas are largely inaccessible, the trees are often shrouded in mist, cloud and rain and the insect is very cryptic.”
The males of the species remain as-yet unknown, but the authors of the paper hope one will be found in due course.
“Nature is amazing and there’s still so much to be discovered, right on our doorstep. These sorts of discoveries highlight the need for active conservation of forests within the region,” said Ross.
Photo by Ross Copeland