Didymuria violescens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Didymuria violescens, the spur legged phasmid, also known as the violet-winged stick insect, or violet-winged phasma, is a common phasmid native to Australia. Males have distinct spurs and thicker hind legs (the hind have the spurs) which is where the animal gets its common name, though the spurs are only found on the male. This specific type of stick insect eats Gum (Eucalyptus) leaves, female lay very many eggs as there is a low chance of live hatching from the egg. The female produces eggs that can bear young even if the eggs are not fertilized, though those hatch-lings are only female. This is called parthenogenesis. Newly hatched stick/leaf insects are called nymphs until their final (5th-7th) molt. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spur Legged Phasmid sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 310th most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spur Legged Phasmid in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spur Legged Phasmid sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Spur Legged Phasmid sightings, Brisbane ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Phasmatidae
The closest relatives of the Spur Legged Phasmid that you can see in Brisbane (family Phasmatidae) are Tessellated Stick Insect (about 20%), Titan Stick Insect (about 10%) and Children’s Stick Insect (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spur Legged Phasmid is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (40 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
