Thorn-legged Stick Insect vs Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Thorn-legged Stick Insect	Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Scientific Name	Aretaon asperrimus	Extatosoma tiaratum
Order	Phasmatodea	Phasmatodea
Family	Heteropterygidae	Phasmatidae
Size	60-85mm	100-150 mm (females)
Habitat	Forests	Woodlands
Diet	Herbivores	Herbivores
Regions	Asia	Oceania
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Thorn-legged Stick Insect

A heavily armored stick insect covered in sharp thorns and spines across its entire body. Its brown coloring and spiny texture make it resemble thorny bark. Males are smaller and smoother than females.

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Did You Know?

Its entire body is covered in such dense thorns that it feels like a cactus and is painful to handle carelessly.

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.