This is Twiggy, one of Questacon's Goliath stick insects (Eurycnema
Goliath).
This clip is put together from 1,404 individual time lapse photographs
over a period of just over 2 hours and was edited together by the
Questacon Digital Communications Team. It shows Twiggy having her
final moult as she changes from a large brown skinny stick with legs
into a beautiful fully mature green stick insect. Goliath stick insects normally measure around 1-2cm when they first hatch and grow through a number of stages, or instars, on
their way to adulthood.
As you can see, Twiggy's wing covers pop out and then her wings emerge
as she sheds. She will pump fluid into them until they are fully
expanded and red and green in colour; however now that she is fully
mature she is too heavy to fly.
Twiggy ended up being just over 21cm long from nose to tail tip and
her wings are just under half of her body length at 10cm long. Female
goliaths typically measure between 17-20cm, so she is a big one!
After Twiggy shed her old carapace she ate it which provides valuable
nutrients for the next stage of her life.
Now that Twiggy is fully mature she will mate with Questacon's male
Goliath stick insect who is about half her size.
She will then start to lay tiny eggs that look just like seeds. These seeds will take at least 6 months to hatch.
Next time you visit Questacon you may get to meet Twiggy or one of her
offspring in Questacon's Q Lab, or as part of the Excited Particles' Insects show.
