A new kind of giant stack insect It was found by two Australian researchers Ross M. Coupland And Angus J. Emmott in the tropical forest of northern Queensland in Australia. The discovery took place on June 17, 2025, and the species was given the name High ACOPHYLLA. The dimensions of the example female described are truly remarkable seen, which has a total length of the body with her legs stretched out of 425 mm and a weight of well 44 grams. At the moment only 2 specimens well hidden in the thick of the tropical forest were found. It could be the largest insect described so far, for contending the primacy with Deinacrida Heteracanthaa vegetable garden of New Zealand which a female specimen of the weight of 71 gr It is a total length of the body of over 85 mm, but which generally has females with an average weight of up to 43 grams.
The new Stecco insect has the appearance of a long sprigwith a thorny and generally light brown color, with bright reflections and with emerald green abdomen. The Queensland region in which High ACOPHYLLA it has been found is actually rich in several habitats to different altitudes, from sea level to plateaus beyond the 1000 m SLM and presents the most diversified insects of insects (fasmids) of Australia.
The Stecus insects they leaf insectsso called because apparently they seem precisely twigs or leaves, represent an entire order, that of the Fasmidi (Phasmatodea), with over 3000 species so far described and with a mainly tropical distribution, but with few species that populate even more temperate regions and the Mediterranean. I am night animals who developed a high degree of mimicry managing to confuse themselves in the vegetation of the tropical forest by imitating various parts of the plants: twigs, cortex and leaves. The camouflage reaches high levels of specialization by adopting behaviors of absolute immobility or swaying as a leaves in the wind to deceive predators. Like all members of the same order as the Fasmidi, they are herbivores and absolutely harmless to man. THE
The average dimension of the insects stacked varies between 6 and 10 cmbut there are much larger species such as the one described recently. However, they present a high sexual dwellingwith extremely larger females of males. Adult females lay eggs also over several months, a little at a time, until they also reach the 2000 eggs. Stecus insects are also known for the ability of many species to reproduce also for parthenogenesisas an adaptation in case of numerical deficiency of males (females are able to give birth to eggs not fertilized by the male).
Stec insects can be called almost “pets“Since they can be raised at home inside a terrarium. The display case in which they will live must be enriched with twigs and bramble, raspberry or default leaves of which they feed on. The environment must be kept at a temperature at least around 20 ° C and with humidity at 60-70 %. It is good to often spray the display case and the leaves with water in order to create a damp environment.
