A team of Australian scientists has discovered a new species of giant stick insect, Acrophylla alta, in the tropical forests of northeastern Australia. At nearly 15 inches long and weighing slightly less than a golf ball, it may be the heaviest insect in Australia. After many nights of searching, Professor Angus Emmott of James Cook University and Australian wildlife expert Ross Coupland found a big female that was so high up that they had to use a long stick to get it down. They kept the female in a cage, fed it, and then collected its eggs. Emmott said he believed the species had not been discovered earlier because its habitat was too hard to access. The next step in identifying more about the species is to find a male, which is proving difficult because they tend to be significantly smaller. “Recognizing this species as distinct is also important for its conservation. We can’t conserve a species if we don’t know it exists or where it occurs,” said entomology expert Nicole Gunter. She estimated up to 70% of Australian insect species are currently undetermined.
