dryococelus australis, also known as the lord howe island stick insect or tree lobster, is a phasmid which is sometimes called a land lobster. it was thought to have become extinct in 1930, but more were found in 2001. it no longer lives on lord howe island which was its main habitat. it is now only found on the small rock island called ball's pyramid. with less than 30 of the stick insects left alive in the wild, it has been called "the rarest insect in the world". melbourne zoo has been able to breed the stick insects with more than 9,000 hatched. it is hoped that the insects will be released back on lord howe island in the future.