About the Margin-Winged Stick Insect
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 →