It's a big day for bug enthusiasts and conservationists alike at the San Diego Zoo, where, for the first time in North America, visitors can take a gander at the Lord Howe Island stick insect - a critter once thought to be extinct. Known colloquially as "tree lobsters," these six-inch-long, flightless, nocturnal beasts are making their North American debut in San Diego, as reported by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The Zoo's entomology squad has been collaborating with Melbourne Zoo in Australia for over a decade to nurture populations of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, pulling them back from the brink of oblivion. Paige Howorth, McKinney Family director of invertebrate care and conservation, is quoted saying, "San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is committed to invertebrate conservation, and bringing our guests close to this rare and iconic species is a great way to raise awareness for the lesser-known animals that run the world," according to a statement obtained by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
This precarious insect made headlines in 2001 when a few living specimens were found clinging to survival on Ball’s Pyramid, a volcanic rock near their namesake island - Lord Howe Island, sparking an international effort to save the species. San Diego Zoo joined forces with Melbourne Zoo in 2012 and now touts the distinction of being the only North American facility working with this rare insect.
It's not just the insect experts working overtime; the horticulturists are in on the action too, cultivating a buffet of plants to cater to the finicky appetites of these vegetative gourmands—some plants sourced directly from Aussie soil currently support the thriving insurance population at the zoo, because for these critters, dining is serious business, their diet directly contributing to their peculiar life cycle, which sees them morph from bright green nymphs to glossy brown-black adults.
Listed as Critically Endangered by both the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act, Lord Howe Island stick insects are victims of invasive species like rats that ravaged their island home. However, there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon as an omni-shambolic rat eradication project has sparked an "ecological renaissance" since 2019, per the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
For those curious enough to check out these critters up close, the specialized habitat can be found at the Tree Hollow area of Spineless Marvels, Level 1 at Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Here, the insects live in a reversed light cycle environment, allowing daytime visitors to witness their nocturnal antics beneath a red light that mimics the cloak of darkness. To learn more about the zoo’s conservation work and this remarkable species, bug buffs can visit sdzwa.org.
