A Nice Big Stick Insect on the 4th floor of the Maths Building at Monash University

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Hello!

This is the first of 11 video capture images Robert A. Goler sent me of his distinguished visitor!  The other then are below his email:

G'Day Robin

I had my first encounter with a stick insect today (er yesterday).  Of
all places it was in the 4th floor toilets in the maths building here
where I work!

I took some video of it and have attached some of the captures from it.
It was at least 6 inches long, and it's camouflage isn't quite as
effective when it's hanging on a black wall.  I gave it a little tap and
it gently swayed back and forth.  I took it out of the toilets and showed
it to some of the female staff, much to their displeasure :-)  I actually
joked about keeping it as a pet, but I put it outside which I thought
would be best.  For reference, the width of that magazine box that the
walking stick is on is 11cm.  In hindsight, a brown box was perhaps the
worst colour choice I could've made.

I gather that it must have come in to get out of the cold 18 degree C
daytime temperatures.  I'm wondering though how it could make it up to the
4th floor.  It doesn't seem to have wings for flight, and I thought it may
be a bit risky for it to climb the outside of the building in terms of
exposure to predators (I guess birds would go after it).  And I don't
think it's coordinated enough to use the lifts :-)

I have never seen anything like it before first hand!


I found it so mesmerising just watching the way it was moving around on
that box with those huge legs.

On the insect front again, on my recent trip to Darwin I caught a close up
of a praying mantis cleaning itself (I think) much like a cat does.  You
can find the captures here at the bottom of the page:

http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/~robert/Weather/Dawex/Day8/today.html

It may be a bit slow to load up as there is quite a bit on the page.  My
real interest is in clouds and storms, but I had time to kill during work,
hence the insects pics.  Day 7 (link at the bottom of page) has a 7cm
long grass hopper, and a close up of a smaller grass hopper.

Cheers

Robert A. Goler       

School of Mathematical Sciences
Monash University
Clayton, Vic 3800
Australia

http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/~robert/

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Robert describes what I found so fascinating about my Distinguished Guest - not just its size, but a grace and a kind of patience and coordination which made a big impression on me.

Actually, I think it did use the lift.  

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