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MacLeay's Specter Walkingstick

Common Name: MacLeay's Specter Stick Insect

Scientific Name: Extatosoma tiaratum

Order: Phasmidae

Range: East Coast of Australia and New Guinea and Tasmania

Diet: In their natural habitat this species feeds on eucalyptus but can be reared on blackberry, rose, or oak.

Reader Rail Information: The MacLeay's specter inhabits the Eucalyptus forests of its native Australia. It is sexually dimorphic, meaning that the females and males differ in appearance. The females have large, heavy bodies, and tiny nonfunctional wings. The males are slender, have long antennae, and can fly. The eggs look like seeds, and one species of ants bring them to their nest where the stick insects hatch. The newly hatches nymphs look and act like the ants that have collected the eggs.

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