A photo shoot is often the perfect chance to get out of your comfort zone, and with National Science Week just around the corner we rounded up two of our scientists to help us out with a shoot for the local paper.

Our CSIRO Education team had some charming stick insects on hand, so we decided to pile a whole bunch on their heads!

CSIRO entomologists Anna Marcora (left) and Dr Cate Paull hanging out with their new friends

The Children’s Stick Insect, Tripidoderus childrenii, pictured below to the rear, can be found along the east coast of Australia.

They have two pairs of wings, and when opened up, they have a beautiful patch of  bluey-purple where their wings join their abdomen.

They like munching on Eucalyptus leaves, and reach about 14cm in length when fully grown.

Yep, he definitely looks like a stick!

The other species, in the foreground of the picture above, is the Goliath Stick Insect, Eurycnema goliath.

The Goliath is much larger (and stickier looking) than the Children’s, and can reach up to 25cm in length when fully grown.

The Goliath pictured above is still a juvenile and is brown, but by the time it’s reached full maturity will have shed its skin up to five times and turned green.

Find out more information about what’s on during National Science Week at the EcoSciences Precinct in Brisbane.