Giant Prickly Stick Insect vs Goat Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Prickly Stick Insect Goat Moth
Scientific Name Extatosoma tiaratum Cossus cossus
Order Phasmatodea Lepidoptera
Family Phasmatidae Cossidae
Size 100-150 mm (females) 68-96 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Oceania Europe, Asia, Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Large Australian stick insect with lobed legs resembling leaves. Females drop eggs that mimic seeds — ants carry them underground to their nests where they safely develop.

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Did You Know?

Giant prickly stick insect eggs have a knob that mimics a seed nutrient body — ants carry the eggs to their underground nests, unwittingly protecting them from predators.

Goat Moth

A large moth whose caterpillars bore deep into hardwood trees for up to four years.

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Did You Know?

Larvae emit a strong goat-like odor from which the moth gets its name.