The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of the LHIG is characterised by relatively high species richness and high endemism with up to 60% of some groups comprising endemic species. More than 1600 terrestrial invertebrate species have been recorded, including 157 land and freshwater snails, 464 beetles, 27 ants, 183 spiders, 21 earthworms, 137 butterflies and moths and 71 springtails. The rate of discovery of new species remains high, indicating that numerous endemic species are yet to be discovered.
The below list includes all listed threatened invertebrate species on Lord Howe Island impacted by rodents:
Lord Howe Island Phasmid
Dryococelus australis
A giant flightless stick insect over 12cm in length. The adult is honey brown colour with a white stripe down the side, while the juveniles are bright green, turning brown when mature.
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Lord Howe Placostylus
Placostylus bivaricosus
A large ground-dwelling land snail with a pointed shell up to 8cm in length, medium to dark brown colour (weathering to white in older animals) and with a thickened lip in mature animals. The body is black.
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Whitelegge’s Land Snail
Pseudocharopa whiteleggei
Has a loosely coiled shell of few whorls which is 13 to 16 mm in diameter and 6 mm in height. The shell is relatively flat with a depressed spire and a unicolour appearance of dark red-brown.
Masters’ Charopid Land Snail
Mystivagor mastersi
Has a small shell (6.5 mm in diameter and 4.5 mm in height) of three whorls and a dull yellowish brown colouration, flamed with brown. It is the only member of a monotypic genus endemic to Lord Howe Island.
Mt Lidgbird Charopid Land Snail
Pseudocharopa lidgbirdi
Magnificent Helicarionid Land Snail
Gudeoconcha sophiae magnifica
Has a thin, bronze shell with a depressed spire, sculptured with fine ripple marks. Its dimensions are 35 mm in diameter and 20 mm high.
Lord Howe Island Earthworm
Pericryptodrilus nanus
A small earthworm between 25-32mm in length made up for 111-123 segments.
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Lord Howe Island Wood-feeding Cockroach
Panesthia lata
Large wingless wood-eating cockroach with a length between 22-40mm. Its colour ranges from red to black with a metallic sheen.
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