A Giant Stick Insect has been discovered in the depths of a remote Australian tropical jungle, an ecosystem known for hosting a diversity of creatures, from venomous snakes to spiders, scientists have found a new species of stick insect which, according to their research, is the heaviest ever found in the country.
This astonishing specimen reaches 40 centimeters in length and weighs 44 grams, which is approximately the weight of a golf ball.
Angus Emmott, from James Cook University, who was part of the team that identified this new species, named Acrophylla alta, suggests that its considerable size could be an evolutionary adaptation to its cool and humid habitat.
“Its body mass likely helps them survive in cold conditions, and that’s why they have evolved into this large insect over millions of years,” Emmott explained in a press release. “As far as we know, this is the heaviest insect in Australia,” he added.
🇦🇺🪲 Descubren en Australia una especie de insecto palo gigante de 44 gramos de peso pic.twitter.com/ixaToZ2W5l
— El Periódico de España (@ElPeriodico_Esp) July 31, 2025
A remote and distinctive habitat
The new Giant Stick Insect was discovered among the treetops of the mountainous region of the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, in the northeast of Australia.
This particularly remote habitat is, according to Emmott, the main reason why the species had remained undetected for so long.
Another Giant Stick Insect species[/caption>
“It is restricted to a small area of high-altitude tropical jungle, and it lives high in the canopy. So, unless a cyclone or a bird brings it to the ground, very few people get to see them,” Emmott explained.
The scientists were also able to identify this new species thanks to the distinctive characteristics of its eggs.
“Each Giant Stick Insect species has its own egg style,” Emmott commented. “They all have different surfaces, textures, and marks, and can have different shapes. Even the egg caps are very unique.”
Currently, two specimens of this remarkable species have been added to the collection of the Queensland Museum, which will facilitate future research and a more in-depth study of Acrophylla alta.
