The Giant African Stick Insect Bactrododema tiaratum from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (known from all provinces except Eastern Cape and Free State), Swaziland and Zimbabwe is known to reach a length of 125-185mm. in females (up to 350mm. including legs stretched out).  This is much shorter than the largest known stick insect, Phobaeticus kirbyi from Borneo, also the longest insect in the world, the females of which reach 328mm (548mm. including legs stretched out). A 278mm. Malayan Phobaeticus serratipes measured 555mm. including legs stretched out.

Giant stick insects are particularly interesting because of their size and weight and the fact that some of them can fly with their relatively small wings. The flight of these insects may be regarded as one of the wonders of aerodynamics, although often it is only a downward gliding flight. Although Giant stick insects can make very good pets, and there is a demand for specimens in insect zoos, Giant African Stick Insects have rarely been kept in captivity. A stock kept in the London Zoo was stolen in the 1960's! If you want to keep a Giant African Stick Insect as a pet, make sure you have a good supply of potted  Acacia saplings.  Peltophorum might also work. In other countries people have had success feeding stick insects from various countries on rose or oak plants. Make sure the leaves have NOT been sprayed with insecticide! It is not easy to keep these insects in captivity, so it would be wise to refer to Brock (2000).

Several African Bactrododema species are longer than B. tiaratum and, like tiaratum may be found high up in trees or occasionally at lights. In South Africa B. tiaratum is actually the third longest stick insect. Bactrododema krugeri, described for the first time in Annals of the Transvaal Museum 2004, reaches 226mm and Bactricia bituberculata up to 200mm. The longest African stick insect is Bactrododema hippotaurum (263mm.). Because they are so long, they should actually be called branch insects! One of the largest specimens in the Transvaal Museum has a dry weight of only 3,8g. Females of the bulky, broad-bodied Jungle Nymph Heteropteryx dilatata from Malaysia weigh up to 65g. in their egg-laying prime, one of the heaviest insects known. Although the African stick insects are by far the longest African insects and not far short of the Asian species, they are not amongst the heaviest stick insects.

Stick Insect Facts: