Megacrania batesii

Description

The peppermint stick insect (Megacrania batesii) is a bluish-green coloured stick insect that only lives on the midribs of the leaves of the "screwpine" Pandanus tectorius. If disturbed during the day, it emits a fine spray of a milky substance with an odor resembling peppermint. They do not use their hindlegs for locomotion. The species occurs in Queensland, as well as several islands in the Pacific Ocean, for example the Solomon Islands, Ambon Island, New Guinea, the New Hebrides and the Philippines. Another Megacrania species, M. alpheus, should possibly be included in M. batesii.