New giant stick insect species is Australia’s heaviest, scientists say

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SYDNEY (Reuters) -In a remote rainforest in Australia, home to deadly snakes, spiders and creepy-crawlies, scientists have discovered a new species of stick insect they believe is the heaviest ever found in the country.

The new species weighs 44 grams (1.55 oz), about the same as a golf ball, and is 40 cm (15.75 inches) long.

James Cook University’s Angus Emmott, who helped identify the new Acrophylla alta species, 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,” he was quoted as saying in a media release.

“From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.”

The new stick insect was discovered in the canopies of the mountainous Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland, in Australia’s northeast.

The remote habitat was probably also why it had remained undiscovered for so long, Emmott said.

“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.

“Every species of stick insect has their own distinct egg style,” Emmott said.

“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.”

Two specimens have been added to the Queensland Museum’s collection to aid future research.

(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Kate Mayberry)