Also known as Lord Howe Island Stick Insect, Tree Lobster, Lord Howe Island Phasmid
Lord Howe Island stick insects are massive, flightless phasmids dubbed tree lobsters for their heavy, glossy dark exoskeletons and stout legs. Adult males brandish thick, thorn-like femoral spines used in territorial grappling, while mating pairs display remarkable social attachment by resting entwined in tree hollows throughout the day. Driven to near-extinction by invasive ship rats in the early twentieth century, a tiny remnant population clung to life on a single volcanic sea stack before captive breeding rescued them.
NocturnalFlightless
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
Tea tree foliage
Moreton Bay fig leaves
Coastal shrub vegetation
Predators
Black rat
Lord Howe currawong
ThreatsInvasive black rats, extreme weather events, restricted habitat range
