Dryococelus australis isolate:BP.DAU1 Genome sequencing and assembly. Dryococelus australis isolate:BP.DAU1

The giant stick insect Dryococelus australis was once common on Lord Howe Island, Australia, but was driven to extinction after the arrival of rats in the early 20th century. D. australis was thought to be extinct for decades, until a tiny population of similar-looking stick insects was discovered on the nearby island of Ball’s Pyramid in 2001. Individuals from this population are currently being reared in Australia and elsewhere in the world, with the eventual goal of recolonizing Lord Howe Island after rodent identification. However, the giant “land lobster” phenotype has evolved repeatedly, and there has never been a genetic confirmation of the rediscovered population’s species identity. Because Dryococelus is monotypic, there are also no known extant relatives for comparison. This project investigates the genetic relationship between samples collected on Ball's Pyramid and museum vouchers of D. australis.