Acanthoxyla prasina

Acanthoxyla prasina, the prickly stick insect, is a stick insect in the order Phasmatodea and the family Phasmatidae. It is found throughout New Zealand, although it is less frequently reported than "common" stick insect species. It has been introduced to Britain, predominantly Cornwall and Devon, and to the south-west region of the Republic of Ireland. It has a thorny skin, which is used as camouflage."Insect poses prickly questions" on Otago Daily Times website, viewed 2013-10-16 The species reproduces by parthenogenesis, producing eggs without the help of a male, and the population is entirely female. No male had ever been seen until 2016 when one was discovered in the introduced population in Cornwall. He was likely the result of a rare mutation and is now part of the collection at the Natural History Museum in London. Acanthoxyla prasina egg illustration by Des Helmore

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.