Australian stick insect

[arillady]

I am hoping that Anthony checks this topic out.
I was heading to Williamstown this morning and up ahead on a sealed road was a magpie swooping on what I thought might have been a baby bird till I got closer, then ‘child’s whirlygig’ came to mind. I did not know what it was so I stopped. Long lime green thin body about 8” long with white/clear wings with a red stain (natural) near the body. I picked it up and was clasped by the prickly legs and moved it off the road into the grass. Either a stick insect or something – must do a google search to find it. It was utterly amazing and I kind of wish I had put him in the car. Magpie probably got him after I left...  damn. But magpies here would have found it too.
Checking google I could not find one that was the same.
Of course no camera in the car when I wanted it

[Anthony Darby]

Australia is awash with stick insects of all shapes and sizes. Green with red wing bases could be this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurycnema_goliath One of the species I yearned for back in the UK. I must get this book. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Field-Insects-Australia-ebook/dp/B0050FEJ4I I used to meet and correspond with Paul Brock back in the 70s and 80s.

[arillady]

Anthony I did not notice the segments on the tail. The red was more of a wider extention of that black circle near the body - not extending down the wing like this one. Could a praying mantis get huge? You can see how challenged I am where insects are concerned

[Anthony Darby]

There are no mantids with a body much more than half the size you suggest. There are over 150 species of stick insect in Australia, and red wing bases is quite often a colour combination, not just in Australia. The amount of red could also vary between different populations of the same species.

[arillady]

Thanks Anthony. I just ordered the book through fishpond - you get free shipping!

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi would love that one as depicted on Google. I like stick insects very much but admit to having seen them only to about 5" (12cms) or so in length. I had a hedge once of Olearia and when I first went to cut it, found hundreds of stick insects in it, so it never did get cut in the 7 years I lived there.

[Maggi Young]

Ian is giggling and Maggi is going to lie down in a darkened room.   20cms 9eight inches0 is bad enough for something with so many skinny legs... but the notion of a  stick insect 30cms  ( one foot) long is just too much.
As to your infested hedge, Lesley..... words fail me!

[Lesley Cox]

That must be a first Maggi?

[Paul T]

Now, Now Children.... play nice.  No insulting or scaring the moderators!! 

[Maggi Young]

Luckily, my back, like the rest of me, is broad!  

So long as forumists play politely together, we will all be happy. Thankfully, that is usually the case 

Mind you, if I could ban critters with too many skinny legs then I most certainly would!!

[maggiepie]

Maggi, I'll take all your stick insects and mantids and you can have my wee harlequin stinkbugs and sawflies.

Deal?

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, I'll take all your stick insects and mantids and you can have my wee harlequin stinkbugs and sawflies.

Deal?

No deal, Helen  ...  luckily the only stick insects and mantids I have to deal with are on the pages of the forum... tho' for me, that's bad enough.

[maggiepie]

Maggi, I'll take all your stick insects and mantids and you can have my wee harlequin stinkbugs and sawflies.

Deal?

No deal, Helen  ...  luckily the only stick insects and mantids I have to deal with are on the pages of the forum... tho' for me, that's bad enough.

Bummer 

[arillady]

I have sent an enquiry to the Australian Museum insect section online. Maggie it was the most amazing insect and you would have loved him/her even with your aversion to them.

[Anthony Darby]

Vivienne and I were in one of the cheap shops looking for wrapping paper. I spotted a box of "educational" posters. The one on the front was photos of "zoo animals" on a white back ground, including cheetah (labelled leopard); tortoise (labelled turtle); gazelle (labelled deer) and female gorilla (labelled chimpanzee).