Singing cicadas, thought to have disappeared in the 1990s, are back in the UK.

The insects were brought from France by the Species Recovery Trust and placed in a specially constructed habitat at Paultons Park, just outside their former home in the New Forest.

Charlotte Carne, project officer at the trust, said: "This has been a really challenging project so it’s amazing to see New Forest cicadas in England after all this time.

"It’s like bringing them back from the dead."

Charlotte, Dom and Jack showcase the rare cicadas at Paultons ParkCharlotte, Dom and Jack showcase the rare cicadas at Paultons Park (Image: Pete Hughes) These creatures, known as Cicadetta montana, are recognised by their black bodies, golden rings, and transparent wings.

Females can grow up to five centimetres, with males being slightly smaller.

They were once common in the New Forest, but conservationists believe that changes in land management led to their extinction in the UK.

The trust recruited a French entomologist to capture 11 female cicadas from northern France, who were brought to the UK on June 11.

Some of these cicadas are already pregnant and have been laying eggs in their new habitat, which is filled with plants like raspberry canes and hazel tree saplings.

However, the trust will not know until at least 2029 whether this phase of the project has been successful, as cicadas spend at least four years underground as nymphs.

If they survive, the adult insects can be released at secret locations in the New Forest.

The trust hopes to import more cicadas from France to continue the breeding programme, while studying populations of the same species in Slovenia to learn more about their behaviour.

Dominic Price, director of the trust, said: "We believe the New Forest cicada probably went extinct because of changes to the way land was managed, but we have worked with Forestry England to put the right kind of management in place.

"What’s more, we think that our warming climate could also favour their survival, so we are very hopeful that one day soon, cicadas will sing in the New Forest again."

The project, a first of its kind, has been funded by Natural England, the Swire Charitable Trust, and the Valentine Charitable Trust.