Stick Insect

Lore & Background

The longest known stick insects are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe Pharnaciini. Females of these stick insects usually reach considerably larger sizes than males of the same species. The current record holder is a captive-bred young of *Phryganistria* "chinensis" that reached 64 cm (25 in) in total length. Before that, a wild collected female of the same species held the record at 62.4 cm (24.6 in) total length, with a body length of 36.1 cm (14.2 in). Another contender, *Phobaeticus chani*, has a specimen in the Natural History Museum in London measuring 56.7 cm (22.3 in) total length and a body length of 35.7 cm (14.1 in). Females of the Australian *Ctenomorpha gargantua* have been confirmed at up to 56.5 cm (22.2 in) total length, including extended legs and cerci (the latter unusually long in this species); one captive individual was measured at 61.5 cm (24.2 in), but that size remains unconfirmed. *Phobaeticus kirbyi* reaches up to 54.6 cm (21.5 in) total length, body alone up to 32.8 cm (12.9 in). *Phobaeticus serratipes* of Malaysia and Singapore measures up to 55.5 cm (21.9 in) total length. The spiny stick insect (*Heteropteryx dilatata*) of Southeast Asia does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins (body up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long), but is much bulkier: the largest *Heteropteryx* weighed about 65 g (2.3 oz) and was 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide across the thickest part of the body.

In Their Own Story

In 2014, a new species of stick insect was discovered in China. It was a currently undescribed species of *Phryganistria*, informally referred to as *Phryganistria* "chinensis". A wild collected female was kept at the Insect Museum of West China in Chengdu. She became the record holder with a total length, including extended legs, of 62.4 cm (24.6 in), and a body length of 36.1 cm (14.2 in). But she was soon surpassed by one of her own captive bred young, which reached 64 cm (25 in) in total length. Meanwhile, in the Natural History Museum in London, a specimen of *Phobaeticus chani* holds its own record: 56.7 cm (22.3 in) in total length, with a body length of 35.7 cm (14.1 in). In Australia, females of *Ctenomorpha gargantua* have been confirmed at up to 56.5 cm (22.2 in) in total length, including extended legs and cerci (the latter unusually long in this species); one captive individual was measured at 61.5 cm (24.2 in), but that size remains unconfirmed. And in Southeast Asia, the spiny stick insect (*Heteropteryx dilatata*) does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins (body up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long), but it is much bulkier: the largest *Heteropteryx* weighed about 65 g (2.3 oz) and was 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide across the thickest part of the body.

Reader's Guide

The longest known stick insects are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe Pharnaciini. Females of these stick insects usually reach considerably larger sizes than males of the same species. The current record holder is a captive-bred young of *Phryganistria* "chinensis" that reached 64 cm (25 in) in total length. Other very large species include *Phobaeticus chani* (a specimen in the Natural History Museum in London is 56.7 cm (22.3 in) total length, body length 35.7 cm (14.1 in)), and females of the Australian *Ctenomorpha gargantua* (confirmed at up to 56.5 cm (22.2 in) total length; one captive individual measured 61.5 cm (24.2 in), but that size remains unconfirmed). *Phobaeticus kirbyi* reaches up to 54.6 cm (21.5 in) total length, body alone up to 32.8 cm (12.9 in). *Phobaeticus serratipes* of Malaysia and Singapore measures up to 55.5 cm (21.9 in) total length. The spiny stick insect (*Heteropteryx dilatata*) of Southeast Asia does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins (body up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long), but is much bulkier: the largest *Heteropteryx* weighed about 65 g (2.3 oz) and was 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide across the thickest part of the body.

Did You Know?

• The longest known insect is a currently undescribed species of *Phryganistria*, informally called *Phryganistria* "chinensis", with a captive-bred young reaching 64 cm (25 in) in total length.
• A specimen of *Phobaeticus chani* in the Natural History Museum in London measures 56.7 cm (22.3 in) in total length, with a body length of 35.7 cm (14.1 in).
• Females of the Australian *Ctenomorpha gargantua* have been confirmed at up to 56.5 cm (22.2 in) in total length, including extended legs and cerci.
• The spiny stick insect (*Heteropteryx dilatata*) of Southeast Asia is much bulkier than its longer cousins: the largest weighed about 65 g (2.3 oz) and was 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide across the thickest part of the body.
• Females of these stick insects usually reach considerably larger sizes than males of the same species.