Ex-Weta

Brynn stepped out of the dining-room onto the outside paving, and immediately let out a shrill shriek:

“Weta!”

The dogs, who were in close pursuit, immediately investigated the source of her concern, gave the ground a quick sniff, and then proceeded with their doggy business. The creature was quite evidently slightly squished, and quite evidently deceased. An ex-weta, if you will.

Brynn’s Ex-Weta: A Wellington Tree Weta.

Weta are from the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. The English word is borrowed from the Maori language, where singular and plural have the same form. Weta are nocturnal and live in a variety of habitats including: pasture, shrub, forests, and caves. Weta excavate holes under stones, rotting logs, or in trees. They sometimes occupy pre-formed burrows. Many of the giant species now only survive on protected land, and many are endangered. The Giant Weta is the heaviest insect on earth.

Weta can bite with powerful mandibles. Tree weta bites are painful but not particularly common. Weta can inflict painful scratches, with the potential of infection, but their defence displays consist of looking large and spiky, and they will retreat if given a chance. Tree Weta arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes, and then strike downwards, so the spines could scratch the eyes of a predator. Pegs or ridges at the base of the abdomen are struck by a patch of fine pegs at the base (inner surface) of the legs and this action makes a distinctive sound. These actions are also used in defence of a gallery by competing males.

Above: © Dr Paddy Ryan – Mahoenui Giant Weta

The Mahoenui Giant Weta, long considered extinct on the mainland, was rediscovered in a patch of King Country gorse in 1962. The Department of Conservation staff have established a new population of these on Mahurangi Island, off the Coromandel coast. Two hundred have been transferred there, and after four years they are showing signs of breeding.

Weta are mainly herbivorous in the wild, but are also known to eat insects. There are more than 70 species of Weta in New Zealand, 16 of which are at risk. They are one of the oldest species with fossils dating back to the Triassic period.

© Steve Reekie.