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Sticker of Jungle nymph
Bug card No. 0803 of 1,500

Jungle nymph

Heteropteryx dilatata
Eats: PlantsStick and leaf insectsRainforests and jungles6 legs

The jungle nymph is a huge, spiky stick insect from the rainforests of South East Asia. The female is bright lime green and as long as a big banana. It is one of the heaviest insects in the world.

Lives in
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo, in the rainforest
Length
9 to 17 cm (3.5 to 6.7 in)
Top speed
about 0.29 km/h (0.18 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Can bite or sting
It is not venomous, but its back legs are covered in spines. If it feels attacked, it snaps them together like scissors, which can pinch your fingers.
What does it eat?
Like other stick insects, it eats leaves. It comes out to eat at night.
For real!Photo of Jungle nymph
Picture by Acrocynus. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

Jungle nymph about 17 cm long (6.7 in)A crayon about 9 cm (3.5 in)A banana about 18 cm (7.1 in)A house cat about 50 cm (20 in)
as long as 5 toy building bricks in a rowabout as long as your handcould run across a dinner table in 12 seconds

How big is Jungle nymph compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

A big female can weigh as much as 65 grams, more than a small mouse.

2

The females have short wings and cannot fly. Under the green front wings hide bright pink back wings.

3

When it is scared, it flashes its wings, makes a hissing noise and lifts its spiky back legs.

4

The female pushes her eggs into the ground. The babies take 7 to 14 months to hatch.

5

Baby jungle nymphs are beige. The girls turn green as they grow, while the boys stay brown.

you asked

Most asked questions about Jungle nymph

?How big is a jungle nymph?

The females are about 14 to 17 cm long. The males are thinner and about 9 to 13 cm long.

?Can a jungle nymph hurt you?

It has no venom, but it can pinch with its spiky back legs if you grab it. Hold it gently or just watch it.

?Can the jungle nymph fly?

The females cannot fly at all. The males have bigger wings.

Myth buster

Myth: The jungle nymph lays the biggest egg of any insect.

Truth: Not quite. Its eggs are big, but a close cousin lays eggs that are even heavier.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Heteropteryx dilatata
Group
Stick and leaf insects
Family
Heteropterygidae
Classification
Insecta > Phasmatodea > Heteropterygidae
Lives on
Asia
Also known as
Malaysian stick insect, Malayan jungle nymph, Malayan wood nymph

Where the facts come from

  1. Heteropteryx (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Acrocynus. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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Also at home here: Rainforests and jungles

Giant Asian mantisMantisesMetallic stag beetleBeetlesEmerald green snailSnails, slugs and wormsRoyal Goliath beetleBeetlesBanana weevilBeetlesFruit-piercing mothMoths