Dryococelus australis
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | ARTHROPODA | INSECTA | PHASMIDA | PHASMATIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Dryococelus australis | |||
| Species Authority: | (Montrouzier, 1855) | |||
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Critically Endangered D ver 3.1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year Published: | 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Assessor/s: | ANZECC Endangered Fauna Network | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reviewer/s: | Hilton-Taylor, C. & Pollock, C.M. (Red List Programme Office) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Justification: Dryococelus australis was thought to have become Extinct around 1920 after the introduction of rats to Lord Howe Island. However, in 2001 the species was rediscovered on Balls Pyramid, a rocky outcrop 23 km from Lord Howe Island. |
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| History: |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | It was previously thought that Dryococelus australis was endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. In the 1960s, large stick insects were reported to exist on Balls Pyramid, a rocky outcrop 23 km away from Lord Howe Island (Smithers 1969). A scientific expedition to the rock in 2001 confirmed that this stick insect is Dryococelus australis (Macey 2001). |
| Countries: |
Native:
Australia
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | After the introduction of rats to Lord Howe island in 1918, the population dwindled and the species was thought to have become extinct in 1920. Current numbers on Balls Pyramid are not known. |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | Dryococelus australis is a large, heavy-bodied species (Gurney 1947). On Lord Howe Island the species was found in large cavities in the trunks of living trees, emerging at night to feed. However, Balls Pyramid is a small, desolate, rock island without trees. |
| Systems: | Terrestrial |
Bibliography [top]
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Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B (editors and compilers). 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Groombridge, B. (ed.). 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Gurney, A.B. 1947. Notes on some remarkable Australasian walkingsticks, including a synopsis of the genus Extatosoma (Orthoptera: Phasmatidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 40(3): 373-396. Hilton-Taylor, C. 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. IUCN. 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 8 October 2002. Macey, R. 2001. Joy as ancient `walking sausage' found alive. Sydney Morning Herald 13 Feb, 2001. Smithers, C.N. 1969. On some remains of the Lord Howe Island phasmid (Dryococelus australis (Montrouzier)) (Phasmida) from Ball's pyramid. Entomology Monthly Magazine 105:252 Wells, S.M., Pyle, R.M. and Collins, N.M. (compilers) 1983. The IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. |
| Citation: | ANZECC Endangered Fauna Network 2002. Dryococelus australis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012. |
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