A newly discovered stick insect which weighs slightly less than a golf ball may be the heaviest insect in Australia, scientists say.

The 40cm-long new species, named Acrophylla alta, was found in the high altitudes of the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland – and scientists said the habitat could be part of the reason for its large size.

A peer-reviewed study documenting the discovery, published in Zootaxa journal, noted the stick insect was likely heavier than the giant burrowing cockroach, which is endemic to Queensland and is at present the heaviest insect in Australia.

James Cook University researcher Prof Angus Emmott said a social media post helped with the discovery.

Emmott said he believed the species had not been discovered earlier as its habitat was too hard to access.

“It lives high in the canopy. So, unless you get a cyclone or a bird bringing one down, very few people get to see them,” Emmott said in a statement.

But the habitat could also explain why the stick insect is larger, he said, saying the body mass could help them survive the cold conditions in the “cool, wet environment where they live”.

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