Newly Discovered Australia Stick Insect Surprises Experts
AnewlydiscoveredstickinsectinAustraliahassurprisedexpertswithitssizeandweight, potentiallymakingittheheaviestinsectinthecountry.
澳洲新發現的一種竹節蟲的大小和重量令專家們感到驚訝，它可能成為全國最重的昆蟲。
The40cm-longinsect, calledAcrophyllaalta, weighsasmuchasagolfball, heavierthanthegiantburrowingcockroachpreviouslythoughttobetheheaviestinthecountry.
這種名為 Acrophylla alta 的昆蟲身長 40 厘米，重量與高爾夫球相當，比之前被認為是該國最重的巨型穴居蟑螂還要重。
ResearchersfoundthestickinsectintheAthertontablelandsinnorthQueenslandafterbeingalertedbyapicturepostedonsocialmedia.
研究人員在社群媒體上發布一張照片後，在昆士蘭州北部的阿瑟頓高原發現了這種竹節蟲。
Afterconfirmingitasanewspecies, researcherstooktheinsecttostudy, noticingdifferencesintheeggsitlaidcomparedtootherstickinsectspecies.
在確認它是一個新物種後，研究人員對該昆蟲進行了研究，發現它所產的卵與其他竹節蟲物種有差異。
ThediscoverywaspublishedintheZootaxajournal, withthenextstepbeingfindingamaletolearnmoreaboutthespecies, althoughthishasprovedchallengingduetotheirsmallersizeanddifferentappearance.
這項發現發表在《Zootaxa》雜誌上，下一步是找到一隻雄性來更多地了解該物種，但由於雄性體型較小且外觀不同，這已被證明具有挑戰性。
ThisdiscoveryissignificantforfillingknowledgegapsinAustralia'sbiodiversitybybetterunderstandingthecountry'sinsectspecies.
這項發現對於更了解澳洲的昆蟲種類並填補澳洲生物多樣性的知識空白具有重要意義。
Someexpertsestimatethatupto70%ofAustralianinsectspecieshaveyettobedescribed, highlightingtheimportanceoffurtherresearch.
一些專家估計，多達 70% 的澳洲昆蟲物種尚未被描述，這凸顯了進一步研究的重要性。
A newly discovered stick insect in Australia has surprised experts with its size and weight, potentially making it the heaviest insect in the country.
The 40cm-long insect, called Acrophylla alta, weighs as much as a golf ball, heavier than the giant burrowing cockroach previously thought to be the heaviest in the country.
Researchers found the stick insect in the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland after being alerted by a picture posted on social media.
After confirming it as a new species, researchers took the insect to study, noticing differences in the eggs it laid compared to other stick insect species.
The discovery was published in the Zootaxa journal, with the next step being finding a male to learn more about the species, although this has proved challenging due to their smaller size and different appearance.
This discovery is significant for filling knowledge gaps in Australia's biodiversity by better understanding the country's insect species.
Some experts estimate that up to 70% of Australian insect species have yet to be described, highlighting the importance of further research.
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