Metallic beetles return as island bugs surge 60% after 300,000 rats are wiped out

Metallic beetles return as island bugs surge 60% after 300,000 rats are wiped out

The metallic green stag beetles of Lord Howe Island are once again appearing in the treetops, a striking sign that one of the world's most unusual ecosystems is recovering after invasive rodents were wiped out. Five years after a major eradication campaign, researchers say the island's invertebrate population has surged, the Guardian reported. Lord Howe Island got rid of its rats and mice – now cockroaches and bugs are bouncing back[image or emb…