A newly discovered Chinese stick bug holds the distinction as the world's longest insect, the Chinese state media has reported.
The stick insect, measuring 62.4 centimeters (24.57 inches), discovered in the province of Guangxi Autonomous Region two years ago now holds the record for being the longest among 807,625 identified insects in the world.
Insect Museum of West China (IMWC) scientist Zhao Li shared that his knowledge of the insect came from the locals who told him in 1998 that they have previously seen a big bug as thick as a human index finger. That was when he started on a quest to look for the bug.
"I was collecting insects on a 1,200-meter-tall mountain in Guangxi's Liuzhou City on the night of Aug. 16, 2014, when a dark shadow appeared in the distance, which looked like a tree twig," Zhao said. Upon closer inspection, Zhao said the insect's legs were almost the same length as that of the bug's body.
While Zhao was studying the insect at the IMWC, the bug laid six eggs. The smallest of the offspring measured 26 centimeters (10.24 inches) at birth, double the size of previous record holder.
The bug toppled previous record holder, a 56.7-centimeter (22.32 inches) long Malaysian stick bug found in 2008. The stick insect is presently showcased in the London's Natural History Museum.
For Zhao's efforts and discovery, the stick bug is now tagged as Phryganistria chinensis Zhao. Zhao said he will release details of his findings in a thesis.
The body of a stick bug adapts to its surrounding vegetation to camouflage itself. Some of the species like those of Carausius morosus can even change its pigmentation to match its environment. This ability of stick insects, a past fossil study showed, was developed as early as the ancient times as part of their defense mechanism.
