Overview

• The newly named species, Acrophylla alta, reaches about 40 cm in length and weighs around 44 g, surpassing all previously recorded Australian insects.
• Two female specimens collected in late July from the Atherton Tablelands have been deposited in the Queensland Museum for ongoing study.
• Researchers confirmed Acrophylla alta as a new species by analyzing its uniquely patterned eggs and publishing the peer-reviewed description in Zootaxa.
• Field teams are now mounting targeted searches for male individuals to complete the taxonomic profile and determine the species’ full distribution.
• The finding underscores the vast, understudied diversity of high-altitude rainforest canopies and highlights the urgent need to protect these ecosystems from invasive species and climate change.