Phobaeticus chani

Phobaeticus chani, the Chan's megastick (also known by its synonym Sadyattes chani), is a species of stick insect in the tribe Pharnaciini, native to the southeast Asian island of Borneo.^[2] It is one of the longest insects in the world and was once considered the record-holder (it is currently held by a scientifically undescribed species discovered in 2014 and informally known as Phryganistria "chinensis"^[3][4]). One specimen held in the Natural History Museum in London measures 56.7 cm (22.3 in).^[5] This measurement is, however, with the front legs fully extended. The body alone still measures an impressive 35.7 cm (14.1 in).^[6]

Phobaeticus chani
Female holotype of P. chani
Male paratype of Phobaeticus chani
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Phasmatodea
Family:	Phasmatidae
Subfamily:	Clitumninae
Tribe:	Pharnaciini
Genus:	Phobaeticus
Species:	P. chani
Binomial name
Phobaeticus chani Bragg, 2008 (51 Longfield Lane, Ilkeston, Derbyshire,  United Kingdom; PhD University of Nottingham, Nottingham,  Great Britain)
Synonyms
Sadyattes chani (Bragg, 2008)[1]

It is named after amateur Malaysian naturalist Datuk Chan Chew Lun.^[6][7]

Phobaeticus chani was selected as one of "The Top 10 New Species" described in 2008 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists.^[8] The species was also listed as one of the top 10 discoveries of the decade in the BBC television documentary Decade of Discovery, first broadcast on December 14, 2010.^[9]