# Wētāpunga insect conservation in New Zealand

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/wtpunga-insect-conservation-in-new-zealand
> Updated: 2026-10-14T06:21:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3.

A 15-year conservation and breeding program in New Zealand has successfully transitioned the wētāpunga, the world’s heaviest insect, from ‘nationally endangered’ to ‘nationally recovering’. 

Through collaborative efforts involving Butterfly Creek, Auckland Zoo, and the New Zealand Department of Conservation, more than 11,000 individuals have been released into protected environments. The species, scientifically known as ‘Deinacrida heteracantha’, previously faced extinction due to habitat loss and invasive predators such as rats and stoats, which caused it to disappear from the North Island during the 1990s, leaving only a single population on Little Barrier Island.

To ensure the survival of nymphs, scientists utilized a specialized diet of fresh foliage and fish scales for protein. Following 45 separate transfers over the last decade and a half, the program has established self-sustaining populations on at least two islands. Officials noted that the success of this initiative serves as a vital model for protecting other threatened endemic species.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-14: New Zealand launches large-scale conservation efforts to protect endemic species

New Zealand is expanding conservation efforts through successful wētāpunga breeding programs and a massive new operation to eliminate invasive species on three major islands.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-zealand-launches-large-scale-conservation-efforts-to-protect-endemic-species

### 2026-10-09: New Zealand wētāpunga insect moves from endangered to recovering

A 15-year conservation program in New Zealand has successfully released 11,000 wētāpunga insects, moving the world's heaviest insect species from ‘nationally endangered’ to ‘nationally recovering’ status.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-zealand-wtpunga-insect-moves-from-endangered-to-recovering

### 2026-10-06: Wētāpunga conservation success in New Zealand

New Zealand conservationists have successfully released over 11,000 wētāpunga insects into the wild, moving the world's heaviest insect species from ‘nationally endangered’ to ‘nationally recovering’ status.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/wtpunga-conservation-success-in-new-zealand

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Cite as: Wētāpunga insect conservation in New Zealand. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/wtpunga-insect-conservation-in-new-zealand