Giant Stick Insect Found in Queensland Sets Australian Weight Record

Australian researchers have identified a new species of giant stick insect, Acrophylla alta, in the high-altitude rainforests of Far North Queensland. The insect measures about 40 centimetres long and tips the scales at roughly 44 grams—the weight of a golf ball—making it the heaviest insect ever recorded in Australia. The species was located in the wet, mountainous canopies of the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics, a habitat that likely kept it hidden from science until now. Only two female specimens have been collected; both have been placed in the Queensland Museum’s collection. James Cook University naturalist Angus Emmott said the insect’s large body mass may be an adaptation to the region’s cool, damp conditions. The discovery, detailed in a recent scientific paper, highlights both the biodiversity of Australia’s rainforest ecosystems and the gaps in knowledge about species living in remote canopies.