In a remote rainforest in Australia scientists have discovered a new species of stick insect they believe is the heaviest ever found in the country.
According to The Guardian, 40cm-long new species, named Acrophylla alta, was found in the high altitudes of the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland and scientists said the habitat could be part of the reason for its large size.
A peer-reviewed study documenting the discovery, published in Zootaxa journal, noted the stick insect was likely heavier than the giant burrowing cockroach, which is endemic to Queensland and is at present the heaviest insect in Australia.
James Cook University researcher Prof Angus Emmott said a social media post helped with the discovery.
Emmott said his co-author on the study, Ross Coupland, was sent a photo of a stick insect and “immediately thought that it might be something new”.
After many nights of searching, Emmott and Coupland found a big female between Millaa Millaa and Mount Hypipamee. The insect was so high up that they had to use a long stick to get it down.
Queensland Museum’s entomology expert Nicole Gunter said the discovery filled a gap in knowledge about Australia’s biodiversity.
It also highlighted that there was much to learn about some of Australia’s largest insect species, she said. “Australia is home to an immense amount of biodiversity that has yet to be classified and given a scientific name.”
