A new giant insect species was discovered in the high-altitude forests of tropical North Queensland, and researchers are saying it’s a contender for Australia’s heaviest recorded insect.
New Bug on the Block
Researchers have named the large insect Acrophylla alta. According to Live Science, it grows to approximately 16 inches (40 centimeters) long and lives in tree canopies, which are difficult to access and may have allowed it to stay hidden from discovery.
The species isn’t Australia’s longest stick insect, as that title belongs to gargantuan stick insects (Ctenomorpha gargantua), which grow to lengths of 22 inches (57 cm). A. alta, however, is reportedly heavier than this previously discovered species.
“There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they’re fairly light bodied,” study co-author Angus Emmott, a researcher at James Cook University in Australia, said in a statement. “From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.”
One specimen, for example, weighed 1.6 ounces (44 grams), which is approximately double the weight of a mature female gargantuan stick insect filled with eggs. According to the statement, the giant insect weighs “slightly less than a golf ball”.
Explore Tomorrow's World From Your Inbox
Get the latest science, technology, and sustainability content delivered to your inbox.
I understand that by providing my email address, I agree to receive emails from Tomorrow's World Today. I understand that I may opt out of receiving such communications at any time.
The species was discovered in the Tablelands region, which is 1,600 to 3,900 feet (500 to 1,200 meters) above sea level. The insect reportedly feeds on leaves in the forest canopy.
According to The Guardian, study co-author Ross Coupland was sent a photo of the insect and “immediately thought that it might be something new.” After searching for several nights and using a giant stick to get one down from the canopy, they examined one closely and confirmed it was a brand-new species.
“It’s restricted to a small area of high-altitude rainforest, and it lives high in the canopy,” Emmott said. “So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them.”
The study authors have also theorized that the creature’s size evolved to help it survive in a colder, high-altitude environment. This coincides with an evolutionary trend called Bergmann’s rule, which states that animals evolve to be larger in colder climates. This is because larger animals have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio, which helps reduce heat loss.
“It’s a cool, wet environment where they live,” Emmott said. “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.”
The study, published in the journal Zootaxa, called the insect a “spectacular new species.”
