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Onchestus rentzi (male)
Slender phasmid of about 8cm from head to tip of the abdomen. It camouflages against tree bark, where it becomes almost impossible to spot; it's coloured in irregular shades of brown, with two spines on the head (crown) and two on the thorax; the wings are well developed and it can fly. The wings are also used to scare off potential predators; if harassed, Onchestus rentzi will open its wings showing a black and white/blueish pattern, and bounce up and down in a threatening display.
Rainforest in Northern Queensland, Australia. This species was spotted on the Atherton Tablelands, inland from Cairns.
Spotted on Dec 18, 2008
Submitted on Aug 26, 2016
2 Comments
Thank you, Sergio.
Almost too fantastic to believe! Great critter and photos.