Lord Howe Island stick insect facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lord Howe Island stick insect |
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Dryococelus
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D. australis
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| Dryococelus australis (Montrouzier, 1885)
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The Lord Howe Island stick insect, also known as the tree lobster, is a very rare insect. It is a type of phasmid, which is a group of insects that often look like twigs or leaves. For many years, people thought this amazing insect was extinct, meaning it had completely died out, since 1930.
But in 2001, scientists found a small group of them alive! This was a huge surprise. The Lord Howe Island stick insect no longer lives on Lord Howe Island, which was its main habitat (the place where it naturally lives). Instead, it is now only found on a tiny, rocky island called Ball's Pyramid. Because there are so few of these insects left in the wild, it is known as "the rarest insect in the world." Luckily, Melbourne Zoo has been very successful in breeding these stick insects, with over 9,000 hatched. Scientists hope to release them back onto Lord Howe Island in the future.
Contents
What is a Stick Insect?
Stick insects are part of a group of insects called Phasmatodea. They are famous for their amazing camouflage. This means they can blend in perfectly with their surroundings. Many stick insects look exactly like twigs, branches, or leaves. This helps them hide from animals that might want to eat them.
The Lord Howe Island stick insect is quite large. It can grow up to 15 centimetres (6 inches) long. It has a shiny, dark brown or black body. Unlike many other stick insects, it cannot fly. Its wings are very small and not used for flight.
History and Rediscovery
The Lord Howe Island stick insect used to be very common on Lord Howe Island. However, in 1918, a ship crashed near the island. Black rats escaped from the ship and quickly spread across the island. These rats ate the stick insects, and soon, the insects disappeared. By 1930, people believed they were extinct.
For over 70 years, no one saw a Lord Howe Island stick insect. Then, in 2001, a team of scientists went to Ball's Pyramid. This is a very steep and rocky island about 23 kilometres (14 miles) from Lord Howe Island. It's basically a giant rock sticking out of the ocean. On a tiny bush, high up on the rock, they found a small group of these insects. There were only about 24 of them! This discovery was incredibly exciting for scientists around the world.
Life on Ball's Pyramid
Ball's Pyramid is a very harsh place to live. It's a tall, narrow rock with very little plant life. The stick insects were found living on just one type of plant, a tea tree called Melaleuca howeana. They hide in cracks and crevices during the day. At night, they come out to eat the leaves of the tea tree.
Scientists think that the rats never reached Ball's Pyramid. This allowed the small group of stick insects to survive there, hidden from the world, for decades.
Conservation Efforts
Because the Lord Howe Island stick insect is so rare, scientists are working hard to protect it. The main goal is to bring them back to Lord Howe Island.
Breeding Program
- In 2003, two pairs of the stick insects were taken from Ball's Pyramid to Melbourne Zoo.
- These insects, nicknamed "Adam" and "Eve," started a special breeding program.
- The zoo has been very successful, hatching thousands of new stick insects.
- This program helps make sure the species doesn't disappear again.
Future Plans
Before the stick insects can go back to Lord Howe Island, the island needs to be safe for them. This means getting rid of the black rats that caused their extinction in the first place. Lord Howe Island has a big project to remove all the rats. Once the island is free of rats, and the stick insects have enough safe places to live, they can be released back into their original home. This will be a huge success story for conservation!
Images for kids
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A museum specimen of the Lord Howe Island stick insect.
See also
In Spanish: Insecto palo para niños
