Overview

• Acrophylla alta has been officially described in the journal Zootaxa, securing its recognition by the scientific community.
• Two female specimens collected in July are now housed at the Queensland Museum for morphological and genetic studies.
• Measuring nearly 40 centimeters long and weighing 44 grams, the insect may claim the title of Australia’s heaviest recorded species.
• The discovery site in the misty, high-altitude canopy of Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands suggests evolutionary adaptations to cold, wet environments.
• Field teams have resumed nocturnal canopy expeditions to locate male specimens in order to investigate the species’ reproductive biology.