New Zealand giant insect bounces back from brink through breeding project

New Zealand's heaviest insect has made a major recovery thanks to a special breeding and conservation programme. The wētāpunga, also known as the Little Barrier giant wētā, used to live across Northland and Auckland. By the 1990s, only one wild population remained on Little Barrier Island, and surveys between 2005 and 2009 showed that group was shrinking.

Breeding Success

Conservation workers collected small numbers of the giant insects from Little Barrier Island to start a breeding group. Teams at Butterfly Creek in Auckland and Auckland Zoo have now bred tens of thousands of them. Adult females grow large enough to sit across an entire human hand. Because of these numbers, the insect's status changed from Nationally Endangered in 2004 to Nationally Recovering. Last year, the project released 11,000 wētāpunga onto predator-free islands and into fenced sanctuaries to set up new wild groups.

Community Support

Workers at Butterfly Creek in Manukau built early knowledge on breeding and releasing the wētāpunga, which Auckland Zoo staff later expanded to rear large numbers in communal creches. Lead author Dr Chris Green said the project is one of the most comprehensive insect conservation efforts ever undertaken in the country. The iwi Ngāti Manuhiri, who are the mana whenua of Little Barrier Island, supported the work alongside community groups that raised funds and helped monitor the populations.

Context

Conservation breeding programmes often help save native species that face high risks from introduced predators and habitat loss. The methods learned through this project are already helping efforts to protect other rare New Zealand insects, such as the Māhoenui giant weta.