Chan's megastick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chan's megastick |
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Phobaeticus
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| Phobaeticus chani |
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Chan's megastick (Phobaeticus chani) is a truly amazing creature! It's a type of stick insect and holds the record for being the longest insect in the world. Imagine an insect longer than your arm! One special specimen, kept at the London Natural History Museum, measures about 56.7 centimeters (22.3 inches) when its front legs are stretched out. Its body alone is about 35.7 centimeters (14.1 inches) long.
Meet the Longest Insect
This incredible insect is named after Datuk Chan Chew Lun, an amateur naturalist from Malaysia. He helped discover this species. So far, only six of these giant stick insects have ever been found. All of them came from a place called Sabah in Borneo, which is an island in Southeast Asia.
Where Does Chan's Megastick Live?
Scientists don't know much about how Chan's megastick lives its daily life. They think it might live high up in the tops of rainforest trees. This would make it very hard to find! However, a similar type of stick insect, Phobaeticus kirbyi, lives on smaller plants near rainforest paths. This suggests Chan's megastick might also live closer to the ground.
A Top Discovery
Phobaeticus chani was chosen as one of "The Top 10 New Species" discovered in 2008. This selection was made by experts from the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University. It was also featured in a BBC television show as one of the top ten discoveries of that decade. This shows how important and exciting this insect's discovery was to the science world!
