Quietly, over thousands of years, Dryococelus australis grew to a great size on Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. But the peaceful life of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, an invertebrate of such gargantuan proportions that it is also fondly known as the tree lobster, was destroyed by European settlers. They failed to reach the top but subsequent climbing attempts found more stick insect bodies – just never a live one. View image in fullscreen Dryococelus australis, also known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect or tree lobster. Thousands of stick insects have now been reared in six zoos around the world.