New ‘super-sized' insect species discovered in Qld rainforest
The insect, weighing around 44g and measuring 40cm long, is believed to be the heaviest ever found in the country.
Footage captured of the incredible insect shows its large wingspan displayed across someone's arm, measuring similar to the length of a small bird.
The new species has been named Acrophylla alta – a nod to its high-altitude habitat in the Atherton Tablelands.
It's roughly the same size as a small barn owl or a wood pigeon, and is 14g heavier than Australia's heaviest insect; the giant wood moth.
James Cook University's Angus Emmott and south-east Queensland scientist Ross Coupland searched for the stick insect after they received a photograph of what they believed was an unknown species.
Despite its elusive nature, the pair managed to find a female at an elevation above 900 metres in the Wet Tropics Wold Heritage Area.
Professor Emmott said the creature's large size could be an evolutionary response to its cool, wet habitat.
'Their body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that's why they've developed into this large insect over millions of years,' said Professor Emmott.
'The remote habitat was probably also why it had remained undiscovered for so long.'
It's restricted to a small area of high-altitude rainforest, and it lives high in the canopy. So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them,' he said.
The stick insect's distinctive eggs also helped scientists identify it as a new species, as no two species' eggs are the same.
'Every species of stick insect has their own distinct egg style,' said Professor Emmott.
'They've all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes.'
Two specimens are now being kept at the Queensland Museum in hopes they can aid future research.
Currently, the insect's life span is still unknown.
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