A newly discovered stick insect which weighs slightly less than a golf ball may be the heaviest insect in Australia, scientists say.

The 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.

  • MrShankles@reddthat.com
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    9 days ago

    The insect was so high up that they had to use a long stick to get it down

    “Want me to climb up to the canopy and see if I can grab it?” “Nah, just hand me that long stick there”

    • kautau@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      I like the idea that it just got stuck high up and they put out a stick and it was like “oh shit, now this I like” and immediately crawled onto a dead stick because it looked similar

    • tau@aussie.zone
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      8 days ago

      Nah, just hand me that long stick there”

      …and that’s when they found the really big stick insect.