Längliche Insekten: Bizarre Mimikry-Künstler: Stabschrecken in Australien
Forscher haben in Australien neue Stabschrecken-Arten beschrieben. Was diese Gruppe von bizarren Insekten so besonders macht - und welche Rekorde es gibt.
Sydney, Australia - Insects with elongated bodies and unusual forms, known as stick insects or ghost insects, are among the longest insects in the world. One distinctive characteristic is their body shape, which allows them to mimic foliage such as twigs or leaves for camouflage, a phenomenon called mimicry in the scientific community.
Recently, researchers in Australia have described new species of stick insects (Phasmida). A team led by Braxton Jones from the University of Sydney has published in the scientific journal "Austral Entomology," revealing that two species of the Anchiale genus, found in the eastern part of the continent, are actually five different species.
Among the most striking stick insects on the continent is the Goliath Stick Insect or Australian Giant Stick Insect (Clemacantha goliath), with females capable of reaching a length of nearly 20 centimeters. This species ranks among the longest of the continent's 130 stick insects, with one species growing up to 62 centimeters long.
The world record for stick insects is held by a species of Phryganistria chinensis, found in southern China, measuring 64 centimeters in length. However, a scientific description of this species is currently unavailable.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
