🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

This beautiful creature is a female stick insect of a species known as the green bean stick insect and by its scientific name of DIAPHERODES GIGANTEA. In the wild it is found on several Caribbean islands including Grenada, where they spend much of their time hiding in (and eating) the leaves of Eucalyptus trees and other native tree species.

The females of this species are exceptionally beautiful and a beautiful bright green colour. The males on the other hand, as in so many phasmid (stick & leaf insect) species, are not nearly as colourful and are also much smaller than the females and able to fly.

I got to hold one today!