What is a WETA for kids?
What is a WETA for kids?
They are giant flightless crickets, and some are among the heaviest insects in the world. Generally nocturnal, most small species are carnivores and scavengers while the larger species are herbivorous. Wētā are preyed on by introduced mammals, and some species are now critically endangered.
What is a Weta Bug?
Wētā (also spelt weta) is the common name for a group of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae endemic to New Zealand. They are giant flightless crickets, and some are among the heaviest insects in the world.
Where do WETA bugs live?
Giant wētā are several species of wētā in the genus Deinacrida of the family Anostostomatidae. Giant wētā are endemic to New Zealand and all but one species are protected by law because they are considered at risk of extinction.
Are WETA poisonous?
However, wētā aren’t really dangerous to humans. While they can give you a hefty nip, they aren’t aggressive and have no stinger at all – that ominous looking spike at the end of their abdomen is actually an ovipositor, which the females uses to lay her eggs.
What does the weta eat?
Diet: Wētā are mainly herbivorous in the wild, but are also known to eat insects. Habitat: They are nocturnal and live in a variety of habitats including grassland, shrub land, forests, and caves. They excavate holes under stones, rotting logs, or in trees, or occupy pre-formed burrows.
How does a weta move?
They are quite large compared to other insects, with some weighing more than a sparrow. There are wētā that hiss, bite and wave their spiky legs when threatened, while others leap up to 3 metres!
How long does a weta live?
Adult wētāpunga only live for about 6-9 months, during which time they will mate repeatedly. The females lay many groups of eggs in soft soil on the forest floor.
Do wetas have teeth?
The one that you’ll be most familiar with is probably the tree weta – that’s the slightly aggro looking one that will race out on end of a tree-branch to gnash its terrible teeth (jaws actually) at you.
How do weta eat?
Do weta have teeth?
How far can a weta jump?
Also known as jumping wētā, cave wētā have small bodies, very long legs and antennae. They can leap up to 2 metres. They often gather in dark, damp shelters in caves or forests.