At a glance the quick version
Females about 12 cm (PSG) to about 20 cm (Wikipedia); males about 9-11 cm.
Females live about 18 months, males about 6-8 months.
Looks how to spot one
Spiny exoskeleton
Females are broad, thorny and leaf-like, carrying the tail curled over the back, with wings too small for flight. Males are slender with long working wings and fly well.1
Personality what they are like
A placid insect that rocks gently from side to side to look like a leaf in the breeze. When startled it curls its abdomen up like a scorpion and may kick with spiny legs, but with calm handling it is one of the easier species to hold.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Adult females are slow and mostly stay among the foliage; males are more active and will fly. Newly hatched nymphs are very fast for the first few days.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
No grooming. Keep fresh food plants in water, mist each evening, and remove the many eggs that females flick onto the cage floor.13
Home where they are happiest
Breeders suggest at least 60 cm tall x 30 x 30 cm for two adult females. A tall, airy cage helps them moult while hanging; around 25 C suits most stick insects.13
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Eucalyptus in the wild. In captivity bramble, oak, hawthorn, raspberry, rose and similar leaves are widely used.12
Company who they like around
Lives happily in groups in a roomy enclosure.1
The story where it all began
Named by the naturalist William Sharp Macleay in the 1820s from Australian specimens. It has since become one of the most widely kept stick insects in schools, labs and homes across Europe and North America.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Newly hatched nymphs are coloured black, orange and white and run like ants, imitating a local ant genus.1
- 2
Ants carry the eggs to their nests because of a tasty cap on the egg, which keeps the eggs safe until they hatch.1
- 3
Females can lay eggs without a male; those eggs hatch into females only and can take up to about 9 months.1
- 4
You can often hear the eggs pinging off the glass as females flick them away.1
- 5
When disturbed it can release a scent that smells a bit like toffee.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Phasmid Study Group
- Listed in the PSG culture list as PSG 9, common names Giant Prickly and Macleay's Spectre.2
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Described by William Sharp Macleay; Wikipedia dates it 1826, the PSG list gives 1827.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Giant Prickly Stick Insect. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Humidity checkevery 2 days
- Water dishevery 2 days
- FeedingDepends on species, size and moult stagevaries
- Spot cleanRemove leftover foodevery week
- Moult noteLeave them in peace while moulting and note it in the diaryvaries
- Substrate changeevery 6 months
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Extatosoma tiaratum - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for range, size, colours, behaviour, eggs, diet, lifespan, history, fun facts
- Extatosoma tiaratum (Macleay, 1827) - Phasmid Study Group phasmid-study-group.orgused for PSG number, common names, size, food plants
- Stick insect care sheet - Amateur Entomologists' Society amentsoc.orgused for care, handling, temperature
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.