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The Leaf Insects are Maturing

It feels as though I have only just got these critters, but the first spiny leaf insect has matured.
It's hardly surprising. Since they arrived, these stick insects have decimated the raspberry plants that I grow in my garden. I am constantly clipping fresh leaves to put into their enclosure, and they have been molting quite often. The most recent molt for this one has resulted in a mature male stick insect. The easiest way to tell that it is mature is the presence of wings, as nymphs generally don't have wings, and a subadult insect can have at the most wing nubs. So this insect suddenly emerging from his molt with wings tells me he is mature.
The presence of full length, fully functional wings tells me that this is a male. Female stick insects tend to be much larger than males, and only have vestigial wings that can't carry their bulky weight. This guy is long and skinny, indicating a male.
Obviously, he is quite a bit larger than I was anticipating - most of the stick insects I have cared for have been three to four inches at most. Seeing this guy walking around, I would estimate he is about five to six inches. I'm not sure whether the other sticks are male or female yet, but the enclosure they are in is far too small for three insects of this size. Long term, I am going to have to get a new mesh cage for them to live in. But in the meantime, look how pretty he is!
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