Overview

• Acrophylla alta was formally described in late July in Zootaxa by Ross M. Coupland and Angus Emmott based on female specimens collected in the Atherton Tablelands canopy.
• Female individuals reach up to 44 grams in weight and extend about 41 centimeters with legs outstretched, earning A. alta the title of Australia’s heaviest insect.
• Scientists believe the species’ large body mass evolved to minimize thermal energy loss in the cool, wet high-altitude rainforest environment.
• No male specimens have been found to date because they are smaller and morphologically distinct, prompting targeted nocturnal expeditions in the canopy.
• The discovery highlights the importance of high-canopy biodiversity research and underscores the need for sustained funding to protect Queensland’s rainforest insect fauna.