Researchers have discovered a new species of stick insect. The insect, which can grow to almost half a meter long, is said to potentially be Australia’s heaviest.
It was at high altitude in the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland, Australia, that the stick insect was found. Researchers at James Cook University helped identify the new species, which they call Acrophylla alta. The most remarkable thing about the insect is its length and especially its weight: It can grow 40 centimeters long and weigh about 44 grams, which is slightly less than the weight of a golf ball.
— There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they’re fairly light bodied, says Professor Angus Emmott in a press release. From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.
It was through the eggs that researchers were able to identify that it was a new species, since no species of stick insects have identical eggs.
— They’ve all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes, he says.
¡Es el #insecto más pesado de #Australia!
Conoce a Acrophylla Alta, una nueva especie de insecto palo con 44 gramos y 40 cm de longitud, ¡lo mismo que una pelota de golf!
Expertos afirman que su gran tamaño sería una adaptación evolutiva al clima húmedo y frío de su… pic.twitter.com/t0pEbZcIN8
— Cuarto Poder (@CuartoPoderMX) July 31, 2025
It is not uncommon for new insect species to be discovered, but the reason this heavy insect has gone unnoticed is likely due to its habitat. These insects live in a limited area of high-altitude rainforest and live high up in the tree canopy. Emmott also believes it is precisely their living environment that has made them so large.
— It’s a cool, wet environment where they live, he says. 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.