Dryococelus
Sign in to saveDryococelus australis, also known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect, Lord Howe Island phasmid or, locally, as the tree lobster, is a species of stick insect that lives in the Lord Howe Island Group. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Dryococelus. Thought to be extinct by 1920, it was rediscovered in 2001. Although it had been extirpated from Lord Howe itself, a remnant population of 24 individuals was rediscovered on the sea stack of Ball's Pyramid. The species has been called "the rarest insect in the world".
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
8 sectionsContents
- Anatomy and behaviour
- Extinction
- Rediscovery
- Conservation
- Genetics
- See also
- References
- External links
Dryococelus australis, also known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect, Lord Howe Island phasmid or, locally, as the tree lobster, is a species of stick insect that lives in the Lord Howe Island Group. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Dryococelus. Thought to be extinct by 1920, it was rediscovered in 2001. Although it had been extirpated from Lord Howe itself, a remnant population of 24 individuals was rediscovered on the sea stack of Ball's Pyramid. The species has been called "the rarest insect in the world".
==Anatomy and behaviour== thumb|left|Museum specimen Adult Lord Howe Island stick insects can measure up to in length and weigh , with males 25% smaller than females. They are oblong in shape and have sturdy legs. Males have thicker thighs than females. Unlike most phasmida, the insects have no wings.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Dryococelus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.