These enormous stick insects are individuals of a species known only by their scientific or binomial name of Phryganistria heusii yentuensis, which is a bit of a mouthful! In the wild this species is found in tropical rainforests in Vietnam and is considered to be the world’s second longest insect, with females reaching a total length (including outstretched front legs) of a whopping 52cm in length! The world’s largest species reaches 56cm in total, but these are absolutely huge. 

These stick insects are so large that it makes photographing them using one hand, whilst holding them in the other hand like I do for most of my animals, really tricky! Photographing them up against a person’s head is a much easier way to convey their enormous size – here is Santiago, aged 11, wearing an adult male on his face at his birthday party!

Despite how large they undoubtedly look in these pictures, you really do have to see them in the flesh to fully appreciate their enormous size. This is in stark contrast to how small they are as nymphs as they are SO tiny by comparison, despite being relatively large compared to newly-hatched stick insects of almost all other species! 

Incredibly, they grow to their full size within just a few months of hatching – it is truly amazing to watch them grow!