Didymuria violescens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spur Legged Phasmid sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 398th 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 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spur Legged Phasmid in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months.
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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Spur Legged Phasmid sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spur Legged Phasmid is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (23 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.
