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Zaprochilus australis
Insect, grey, forewings forming protective sleeve for rear wings, at angle to body. Gives impression of forked twig.
Found on fence near garden bed, paddocks & bush behind.
Approx. 80mm in length
Looks like you guys have solved it. A katydid it is. Thanks for the info and links.
Ah martinl ! - knew you'd know what it was. For me, it will be "the Ned Kelly katydid"
It's definitely something in the water martin.
Brett can you hold it until it gets an ID ?
please note my error in the earliest post; ornithoptera (=bird - wing) is a butterfly. I intended to write orthoptera (grasshopper)
Brett, I will go out on a limb here, (or maybe just a a stick.) Phasmatodea is a small group with only 104 described species in Australia and not even one of them like this. I suggest it is orthopteran, but I know less about these. Leaf litter models of mimicry is more likely in this group and the hind legs...hmmm... I do think so.
What a fantastic looking thing.
Is this a Tasmanian invention?
Good spotting Brett.
Added new more complete photo. Legs in this one look more like an ornithoptera, but when I first spotted it they were almost straight out
behind.
Wow, how cool. It does look like both. Interested to see what its identification is.
I entereds some data in an online key, and it came back with the same two options. You don't normally confuse stick insects and hoppers, but it seems to be somewhere inbetween. That's why I was interested in an ID.
I'm not sure if its a phasmid (stick insect) or an ornithoptera (grasshopper). It doesnt seem to fit either group very well. How odd this is!!! What do they put in your water?