A new stick insect, Acrophylla alta, possibly Australia’s heaviest, was discovered in Far North Queensland’s forests. Only two females were found; males remain elusive.
The natural world still holds many mysteries, not just beneath the sea but also in the vast realm of invertebrates. The newest example of this is the recent discovery of Acrophylla alta, a species of stick insect that may be Australia’s heaviest insect.
The large insect was found in the mist-covered forests of Far North Queensland, specifically in the Atherton Tablelands. The discovery came to light when James Cook University Adjunct Professor Angus Emmott and South-East Queensland scientist Ross Coupland caught the attention of one of its The image, which featured a palm-sized insect, immediately suggested to them that it could be a previously undocumented species.
The two eventually found a ‘large female’ Acrophylla alta at an altitude of over 900 meters, ‘between Millaa Millaa and Mount Hypipamee in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area’. After the insect laid eggs, the researchers examined them and confirmed it was indeed a new species. “We looked at its eggs after it laid some eggs and we were absolutely certain it was a new species,” Emmott told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
So far, Emmott and Coupland have found two female specimens. Locating males has proven more difficult. One of the females weighed in at 44 grams, significantly more than what was previously considered Australia’s heaviest insect. “They let it go afterwards, but they weighed it and photographed the weighing of it, and it was 44 grams,” said Emmott. He added, “I’m not sure exactly how to go about [verifying] that. I know the large burrowing cockroach was considered the heaviest insect, but it only gets into the mid-30-gram range.”
According to Emmott, the elusive nature of the species is due to its habitat. “They live in high-altitude forest, high in the canopy, and unless a bird knocks one down or you get a cyclone or a storm that knocks one down, we just can’t find them up there in the canopy,” he told ABC.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the find, Emmott emphasized, “In the world of invertebrates, there is so much that we don’t know yet and so many that are yet to be described.”
The official description of Acrophylla alta was published in the journal Zootaxa, and the discovery quickly drew attention online as images and videos of the insect went viral.
