Extatosoma tiaratum

Spiny Leaf Insect

A curled dead leaf reveals six legs when it starts to move.

Reference photo, not the individual on display. Credits appear below.

Care preparation Fresh foliage and safe moulting

Living space Tall, ventilated climbing enclosure

How to observe Quiet observation

Meet your new acquaintance

Nickname A walking dead leaf

Camouflaged by day, quietly feeding on leaves at night.

Species highlights

An egg that gets a lift from ants

An egg’s story continues after it drops. Its capitulum attracts ants, which may carry it into a nest, consume the cap and leave the egg.

This resembles ant-mediated seed dispersal without making an egg a seed or guaranteeing every interaction’s outcome.

A hatchling must then find foliage and grow through moults. The walking-leaf appearance has a prehistory: before the insect can travel for itself, its egg may already have travelled with another animal.

Feature sources:

At a glance

Extatosoma tiaratum is a leaf-eating insect from eastern Australia. Females are robust and spiny, with leaf-like body and leg outlines; males are slimmer with more developed wings. Their striking sex differences should not be mistaken for separate species.

Leaf-like outline and posture hide a real leaf-eating insect with six legs and distinct body regions. Sex and stage differences add variation.

Nymphs grow by moulting without a pupal stage, needing hanging clearance. Eggs use a different strategy: a capitulum can attract ant transport. Foliage-dwelling bodies and ground-level eggs therefore occupy different chapters of one life cycle.

Common names Spiny Leaf Insect; Macleay’s Spectre; Giant Prickly Stick Insect; PSG 9

Scientific name Extatosoma tiaratum

Native rangeEastern Australia; colour alone does not establish a geographic strain

Adult sizeBody length: females about 12–14 cm; males about 9–10 cm, excluding extended legs

ActivityMostly feeds at night; often remains still by day

Diet Continuously provide accepted pesticide-free foliage, such as eucalyptus or established bramble or rose diets. Verify plant identity and actual feeding; ordinary lettuce is not an automatic substitute.

Habitat & care

These are starting points for routine care. Provide suitable fresh foliage, vertical climbing surfaces and clear hanging space, adjusting for life stage, ventilation and observed moulting.

Values guide routine care, not breeding or brumation. Dimensions are length × width × height for one adult unless stated otherwise; larger animals need more space.

TemperatureDaytime air: 22–26°C Measure at the insect’s height. Avoid direct sunlight on closed containers and local hot surfaces. Reptile basking temperatures do not apply.

HumidityAround 60% RH as a starting point Lightly mist foliage for drinking droplets, allowing it to dry within a few hours with ventilation. Incubation conditions are separate from routine nymph and adult care; do not keep the enclosure soaked to chase a reading.

LightingIndirect daylight and a normal day/night rhythm The cited care sources do not specify a species-specific UVI target. Do not borrow lizard lighting settings; avoid direct sun and overheating.

SpaceSuggested starting size: 30×30×60 cm (L×W×H) An adult housing reference; increase space for larger groups. Retain clear hanging height of roughly three body lengths beneath moulting supports. Cover gaps in foliage-water containers to prevent nymphs falling in.

Look a little closer

Find the head, six legs and abdomen within the leaf-like outline and identify lobes resembling leaf edges. During feeding, watch mouthparts crop the leaf margin. If swaying occurs, compare moving body parts with the feet that remain gripping the branch.

Care note: Check host-plant identity and pesticide exposure, and verify actual feeding after a diet change. Check discarded substrate for eggs. Do not release captive insects or eggs outdoors.

About this profile

The spiny leaf insect is Extatosoma tiaratum. The reference photograph shows a female nymph.

Profile status: Reference profile · Reviewed 2026-10-20

References (6)

Photo: Drägüs · Public domain; reference image of a female nymph, proportionally scaled, with no content edits · Original image, credit and licence

Behaviour notes describe the species, not a promise about every individual. These care notes introduce its needs; ask our team about the animal on display and any supervised encounters.