A visit to my home from a unique creature. I live opposite coastal eucalyptus forest which is one preferred natural habitat of this insect.
The front left leg is raised here, in line with the head and antennae.
Tropidoderus childrenii, male
13 cm length
Link to image of a juvenile: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/52242235110/in/datepo...
© All rights reserved.
Tags: stick insect insect arthropod invertebrate fauna phasmatidae macro photography thin slender dof depth of field australia nsw new south wales wildlife twiggy tropidoderus tropidoderus childrenii phasmatodea
© All Rights Reserved
Just over a decade ago, we had a special visitor to our home from the forest opposite. Here is my youngest with I believe, a goliath stick insect that was found resting on the house wall. These impressive insects can be found throughout Australia's east coast in NSW and southern Queensland.
I gather their tendency is to hide in the tree tops and we had never seen one before this chance encounter, nor any ever since. I would imagine they have superb camouflage.
Insect body length 21 cm
© All rights reserved.
Tags: eurycnema goliath stick insect australia nsw new south wales phasmatidae phasmid insects of australia urban nature
© All Rights Reserved
They make things big here in Australia and Acrophylla titan, the great brown phasma is a prime example.
On this day, electricians were helping me to replace an exterior broken light and as this big girl was resting right up near the ceiling in my high house porch, while up the ladder they kindly measured her for me and she was 25 cm/9 inches body length.
With her legs outstretched in front of her, almost double that.
This shot taken from ground level with zoom.
Acrophylla titan is I believe our 2nd longest stick insect after a species found further north in Queensland.
© All rights reserved.
Tags: acrophylla titan tian stick insect female titan stick insect phasmatodea phasmatidae phasmatinae australian stick insect large stick insect huge stick insect australian insect insects of australia awesome nature nature photography insect photography insect large insect i love nature animal planet summer fauna arthropod invertebrate great brown phasma stick bug
© All Rights Reserved
NB: image turned for added detail. The stick insect was facing upward.
Tropidoderus childrenii is known commonly as Children’s stick insect or the yellow-winged spectre and is found throughout the eastern coast of Queensland, here in New South Wales and down to Victoria.
Growing in length up to around 14cm, both the males and females have two pairs of wings.
They eat many species of Eucalyptus and are superbly camouflaged when within this type of foliage - easier to see here against the conifer.
Here we have a juvenile at 5 cm. The front pair of legs are beautifully positioned forward in front of the face.
Link to image of a more mature male: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/48436541081/in/photol...
© All rights reserved.
Tags: tropidoderus childrenii children's stick insect yellow-winged spectre insects of australia stick insects of australia phasmatodea phasmatidae august juvenile stick insect green stick insect beautiful earth magic moment green insect arthropod invertebrate outdoor photography insect photography insect macro macro photography nature nature photography natural world australia fauna nsw new south wales spectacular insect slender svelte
© All Rights Reserved
NB: Not captive.
One good thing about living next to a forest is that occasionally the fauna that live there make their way to my home - and I don't have to hike to find them!
Such as this spur-legged phasmid that dropped by in February last summer. It spent a fair while on my house wall where I photographed it.
Also commonly known as the violet-winged phasmid.
This is a male and only he has the spurs on his hind legs that give the common name. Both males and females can have beautiful violet-coloured wings.
One can come across this native species from south to south-eastern Australia, from Tasmania up the east coast through New South Wales and in to southern Queensland.
Male, around 10 cm in length.
Link to full body image: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/53926080478/in/datepo...
© All rights reserved.
Tags: didymuria violescens spur-legged phasmid spur-legged stick insect violet-winged stick insect australian stick insect violet-winged phasma insects of australia australian insect insect macro stick insect portrait stick insect macro macro photography nature macro nature photography natural world nature summer australia nsw new south wales insect insect photography spectacular insect unique insect arthropod invertebrate entomology fauna phasmatodea phasmatidae stick insect head shot
© All Rights Reserved