The new Acrophylla alta species is more than a foot long and weighs about a tenth of a pound.
DOUGLAS, Australia – A new species of stick insect discovered in a rainforest in northeastern Australia may be the heaviest insect ever found on the continent, according to researchers from the country’s James Cook University.
The insect, known to the scientific community as Acrophylla alta, is said to weigh about as much as a golf ball and measures more than a foot long.
Angus Emmott, a researcher and professor at James Cook University, recently announced the discovery after a team scoured the rugged terrain in Queensland.
“There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they’re fairly light-bodied,” Emmott stated. “From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.”
GIANT BUG FOUND AT AN ARKANSAS WALMART IDENTIFIED AS A JURASSIC-ERA INSECT
A James Cook University researcher discovered a new species of stick insect.
(James Cook University / FOX Weather)
The stick insect’s remote environment, high up in the canopy of the rainforest in the Atherton Tablelands, likely explains why the species has remained undiscovered.
“It’s restricted to a small area of high-altitude rainforest, and it lives high in the canopy,” Emmott said. “So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them.”
Stick bugs are known to be found on nearly every continent, but what makes this species so unique is its large body size, which might be an adaptation to help it survive in its relatively cool, wet climate.
According to Emmott, the eggs of the insect played a key role in its identification, with their unique textures and shapes.
The specimens of Acrophylla alta that were collected and studied are now housed in the Queensland Museum in Brisbane, where they will aid in the identification of future discovered species.
Researchers did not state what they believe the population of the insects to be, which could be the focus of future research.
“To conserve any ecosystem, we actually need to know what’s there and what makes it tick before we can think about the best ways to conserve it,” Emmott stated.
DEMISE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGE KANGAROOS LIKELY NOT CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, STUDY SUGGESTS
Taxonomy Australia, a group that supports the exploration and discovery of the country’s biodiversity, says that Australia is home to some 200,000 species, but only around 62,000 have been named.
Before the recent discovery of the giant stick species, the Australian giant burrowing cockroach was thought to be the largest insect on the continent, weighing upwards of 1.3 ounces, or nearly a tenth of a pound.
Photo of the Australian giant burrowing cockroach.
(Bush Heritage Australia / FOX Weather)
