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Animal profile

Spiny Leaf Insect

Extatosoma tiaratum

InsectaEucalypt woodland and dry forest of eastern Australia

Field profile

The spiny leaf insect is a large Australian phasmid; females are heavy, spiny and flightless, while males are slender and fly well. Females curl the abdomen over the back in a scorpion-like posture when disturbed. First-instar nymphs are black and red and behave like ants.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-01-10

Spiny Leaf Insect

Newly hatched spiny leaf insects behave like ants

First-instar nymphs are black with a red head and run in a quick, jerky, ant-like manner quite unlike the slow adults. The eggs are collected by ants, and the hatchlings leave the nest before the resemblance stops being useful.

Read with evidence →

Spiny Leaf Insect | Daily Animal Facts