Sunday 6 January 2013

World's longest insect - from Malaysia

This insect was from Malaysia. Discovered by a Malaysian and he donated it to the Natural History Museum in Britain. Very interesting - why not just give it to Malaysian Museum?

Longest insect
Datuk Chan with his creepy crawly stick-insect.


In October 2008, British scientists identified the Phobaeticus chani as the longest insect in the world. The new species of stick-insect — nicknamed "Chan's megastick" after the Malaysian amateur naturalist, Datuk Chan Chew Lun, who donated it to London's Natural History Museum — measures 22 inches long with its legs fully extended.

Its body spans 14 of those inches. And what can these long fellows do? Paul Brock, a scientific associate of the British museum told the Associated Press, "Their main defense is basically hanging around, looking like a twig."


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