Subject: Stick Insect
Geographic location of the bug: AU, NSW, Sydney
Date: 11/13/2017
Time: 06:47 AM EDT
Au, NSW
Narrowed it down between a Goliath, crown or a titan.
Approx 15cm long not including legs.
How you want your letter signed: Jess
Dear Jess,
Your individual appears to have very long antennae. The Goliath Stick Insect pictured on Brisbane Insects has very short antennae. According to Oz Animals, “The Crown Stick Insect is found in coastal Queensland and the Northern Territory” and it also appears to have short antennae. Titan Stick Insect images on FlickR also have short antennae. Using the long antennae as a diagnostic feature, and based on the slim body of your individual, we would entertain that this might be a Dark-Winged Stick Insect, Mesaner sarpedon, which is pictured on the Brisbane Insect site. The Atlas of Living Australia does not have any images, but there is a sighting documented near Sydney. Unfortunately we cannot find any information on the size of the Dark-Winged Stick Insect. Perhaps a Phasmid expert will write in with a correction or an affirmation.
Thank you very much. I’ll get onto finding out more!
A reader comments:
I have received a reply from an entomology group on Facebook and they seemed very sure on this.
Willow Hook
