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How a captive breeding program is building a sustainable population of Phasmids.
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Balls Pyramid: a forbidding rock spire rising from the ocean turned out to be an island sanctuary - habitat for the sole surviving Lord Howe Island Phasmids. | These giant insects were abundant on Lord Howe Island until the accidental introduction of rats by white settlers early last century. For the first time this flightless insect was exposed to a voracious and clever land predator and not surprisingly was soon extinct on the island.
Balls Pyramid - a forbidding near neighbour to Lord Howe Island.
Photo by Nicholas Carlile.
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Rumours that the nearby Balls Pyramid might still be home to this cryptic creature attracted the interest of adventurers. |
| Occasionally, in spite of the dangers posed by even landing on the spire let alone scaling it, some enthusiasts would set out in quest of the phasmid. However without success.
Ultimately, officials on Lord Howe Island involved scientists from the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (now Climate Change) to settle the matter once and for all because of the dangers posed not only to foolhardy adventurers but also to their potential rescuers from Lord Howe Island.
The only flat surface large enough to serve as the base camp for the DEC party on Ball's Pyramid (left) was just a rocky shelf that would be engulfed by waves in rough weather. From here the spire had to be scaled in search of the elusive phasmids (below).
The daytime search was finally abandoned because of the dehydrating effects on the heat on the climbers.
Photos by Nicholas Carlile.
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| Time was running out for the expedition. They had to move off the rock the following day because of the limited occasions when a boat could safely reach the spire.
It was decided that a subgroup would attempt a second climb at night. Climbing the spire in the day was tricky but a doddle compared to the night ascent. Fortunately the pair only had to complete a partial climb since, under a stunted scrubby plant growing on a ledge part way up the spire they found three females.
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| Left: The low growing plant that formed the habit for the only known community of Lord Howe Island Phasmids - just one small plant, clinging to a decaying rock ledge.
Photo by Dean Hiscock.
Later it was discovered that the plant was nourished by water seeping down through cracks in the rocks which also helped anchored its roots.
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| Right: Nicholas holding the world’s rarest insect – the Lord Howe Island Phasmid. Photo by Patrick Honan.
The next stage of the saga was to arrange to build a captive breeding colony on the mainland, with the ultimate aim of one day being able to return the phasmid to its real home - Lord Howe Island. Nicholas describes the careful work undertaken in both Sydney and Melbourne to develop two breeding colonies, which are still functioning.
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| However, before phasmids could ever be returned to Lord Howe there are two big problems that must be overcome. Rats and mice
And they are the subject of more stories in Island Sanctuaries
Left: The Keeper of the Phasmids at the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo, Patrick Honan, is shown checking his charges, some eight months after their arrival.
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