SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — Visitors to the San Diego Zoo are in for a real treat as they now have a chance to view the rarest insect in the world.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s entomology team and Australia’s Melbourne Zoo have been working together for over a decade to help sustain populations of the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect.

For the first time in North America, you can now view the rare insects in a specialized habitat at the zoo’s Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced this week.

The Lord Howe Island stick insect breeding program at the San Diego Zoo works to help sustain populations of the rarest insect in the world. Previously thought to be extinct on the Lord Howe Island Group — a cluster of volcanic islands in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand — and rediscovered in 2001, two pairs were taken to the Melbourne Zoo for breeding to help save the species.

Since 2012, the two zoo’s have been working together to save the species.

Also known as tree lobsters, the Lord Howe Island stick insect is a large, flightless, nocturnal insect that can grow up to 6 inches in length.

The temperature and humidity in their habitat is closely controlled, while UV-transmissible skylights allow access to natural photoperiod cues. San Diego Zoo horticulturists have even traveled to Australia to gather plants and seeds for the insects that were otherwise unavailable in North America.

Lord Howe Island Stick Insects are listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and Critically Endangered under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act. 

The species is threatened by invasive plants and non-native predators, including rats.

The Lord Howe Island Board and residents have also been working for decades to bring the population back in that area. They even began rat eradication efforts in 2019, which helped bring back many other rare, presumed extinct plants and animals.

The Lord Howe Island Stick Insects can be found at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers Basecamp in the Tree Hollow area of Spineless Marvels, Level 1. 

The San Diego Zoo has many animals to visit, things to do, and even offers 24/7 viewing of some animals from their wildlife live cameras online.