[REVISION HISTORY]

Wētāpunga insect conservation in New Zealand

1 recorded revision of this situation.

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2026-10-09 20:20 UTC → 2026-10-15 14:26 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.~~ 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 ~~in areas free from invasive predators.~~ on at least two islands. Officials noted that the success of this initiative serves as a vital model for protecting other threatened endemic species.

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