Ctenomorpha marginipennis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Ctenomorpha marginipennis, the margin-winged stick insect, is a species of stick insect endemic to southern Australia. The species was first described by George Robert Gray in 1833, then placed in the genus Didymuria by Kirby in 1904.
It was subsequently accepted as "Ctenomorpha chronus (Gray, 1833)". C. marginipennis resembles a eucalyptus twig and can grow up to 20 cm in length. The males are long and slender, have full wings and can fly. The females are larger with blackish hindwings. The wings of the females are smaller than those of the males. The legs and head (prothorax) are light pinkish brown, with the legs being dentated. The mesothorax, tegmina, abdomen and leaflets, are all blackish green. The mesothorax may have small tubercles. The abdomen contains numerous small spots. The cerci are extremely long and may be somewhat dentated. The nymphs are similar to the older stage, but with only small wing buds instead of the full-length wings of the adults. This species can be distinguished from other members of the family by their extremely long cerci and by the appearance of their eggs.
This species is quite common in heaths and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Margin-Winged Stick Insect sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 175th most-seen of the 875 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.
October and December–March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Margin-Winged Stick Insect in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in April–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Margin-Winged Stick Insect sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Margin-Winged Stick Insect sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Margin-Winged Stick Insect is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (75 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.
