Melbourne Museum has successfully bred some of the world's largest stick insects, in an Australian-first captive breeding program which keepers hope will help ensure the species' survival.
Insect keepers at the museum spent more than a year rearing the gargantuan stick insects (Ctenomorpha gargantua) in captivity, after finding a female of the species, affectionately named Lady Gaga-ntuan, in 2014.
One of Lady Gaga-ntuan's offspring has now grown to become the largest known stick insect in Australia, at 56.5cm long, just 2mm off the world record, her keepers said.
Melbourne Museum's Maik Fiedel said the second generation of the species had just laid their own eggs, which he hoped might grow to become the largest in the world.
He said he believed the insects were quite widespread in far north Queensland, but were very rarely seen.
hmm well Gaga is the biggest popstar in the world and this stick insects offpsring will become the biggest stick insect in the world. It must be in the name
I literally live like 5 minutes away from Melbourne Museum and always getin there without buying the ticket lol I remember these stick insects, they put them in aquarium sort of thing.
I remember these stick insects, they put them in aquarium sort of thing.
