Wildlife seems to find me. This impressive stick-insect right beside my front door was spotted by my son-in-law when he arrived.
I think this is a female Titan Stick-insect, Acrophylla titan.
She was easily 300mm long, compared here with her discoverer’s hand.
I was afraid to harm those fragile limbs in trying to dislodge her, but she was not interested in walking on to a twig either.
This stick-insect is from the Phasmatidae family. Six-legged vegetarians, they are often confused with the carnivorous Mantids — as in the Praying Mantis.
As you can see, she’d have superb camouflage on bark or branches, so why she chose to walk away from any trees or shrubs, across a wide timber verandah, and climb up a grey painted weatherboard wall I cannot imagine. She can’t fly — unless ‘she’ is a ‘he’, as the males can, but they are smaller.
Next morning she was gone, nowhere in sight. A mysterious visit by an example of amazing Nature!
Highly likely, Helen!
They want to check you out so they can identify your species!