Male and female at the same time, the discovery of the first case of binary sexual transformation of the stick insect

Because Charlie's case is "particularly surprising" the insect has been entrusted to the Museum of Natural History to stay there permanently.

A report published in the French magazine Le Point on February 18 referred to the British, Lauren Garfield, who has been raising stick insects for several years, and discovered in one of her samples an individual with a strange characteristic so that half of them appear male and the other half female. This is the first case of its kind, as reported by Geo magazine.

Before its mutation, the insect - which its owner calls it Charlie - did not show any special features, but this stick insect has developed since then, apparently both species at the same time, as one of its sides became green and has a classic leg, which are female characteristics, while the other appeared brown and has Suite, which are male characteristics.

Bisexual mutation

It seemed very strange, and to find out for sure, Charlie's curious owner took her insect to Paul Brooke, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum in London, to come to his diagnosis quickly, explaining this strange formation of the insect as a bisexual mutation, which means the coexistence of characteristics Male and female in one individual, each occupies an aspect of it.

Brooke, who has raised similar cases in other neighboring species, explained that "this is the first time that this gynandromorph has been identified in the stick insects scientifically called "Diapherodes gigantea", to which Charlie belongs."

The researcher added, "Another researcher had indicated in 1958 that there is a 0.05% chance of the appearance of binary mutation in the stick insect Carausius morosus, which originated in Europe and other places since 1901."

Because Charlie's case is "particularly surprising", the insect is entrusted to the Museum of Natural History for a permanent residence.