Home > Weta

250px Poor Knights Giant Weta (Deinacrida fallai). This specimen is 20cm long overall (8"). The body is 10cm long (4").

Weta can be found in environments ranging from mountainous conditions to urban gardens by virtue of their ability to cope with wide variations in temperature. They are nocturnal and flightless, with a diet consisting of leavesThis article is about the leaf a plant organ. See Leaf (disambiguation) for other meanings. In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the chloroplast con, other insects, fungi, dead animals and fruitIn botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant. In cuisine, when discussing fruit as food, the term usually refers to just those plant fruits that are sweet and fleshy, examples of which would be plum, apple, and or.

About a tenth of the species of Weta belong to the Giant Weta species, most of which are generally significantly larger than other Wetas, despite already being large by insect standards. A Giant Weta can have a body length in excess of 8 cmcm redirects here, alternate uses: cm (disambiguation A centimetre (symbol cm American spelling: centimeter is an SI unit of length. One centimetre is: one-hundredth of one metre one-tenth of a decimetre ten millimetres. millimetre << centimetre << decime not inclusive of its lengthy legs and antennaeAntennae (singular antenna , are the paired appendages connecting to the first (and in crustaceans also to the second) segment of the head of the members of all subphyla of the arthropods except Chelicerata. Also the members of the order protura lack them, and weigh more than 70 gramFor other meanings of gram see gram (disambiguation). The gram (also spelt gramme is a unit of measurement of mass, and is defined in the SI system of units as one thousandth of a kilogram. See 1 E -3 kg for comparisons with other masses. The symbol for gs, making it both one of the largest insects in the world and heavier than a sparrowFor the Sparrow air-to-air missile, see AIM-7 Sparrow . Passer Petronia Carpospiza Montifringilla This article is about the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae . The closely related finches of the equatorial regions and Australasia are often also. Giant Weta tend to be less social and more passive than 'standard' Wetas. Giant Weta are classified in the genusSee genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. See genus (music) for the use of the term in music. In biology, a genus (plural genera is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically s Deinacrida , which is Latin for demon grasshopper.

The sixty species of Cave Weta have extra-long antennae, longer legs, a passive demeanour, deafness and quietness. Cave Weta may be active within the confines of their caves during the daytime. Cave Weta are classified in the genus Gymnoplectron .

Giant Weta, along with the Tree, Ground and Tusked Weta, are classified in the Anostostomatidae (or Stenopelmatidae) family. Cave Weta are classified in the Rhaphidophoridae family.

Many species of Weta are rare and endangered. Giant Weta are found primarily on small islands off the coast of the main islands. One recently-discovered species is only known to exist in a single location. Introduced pests and habitat destruction have all contributed to their decline. They have existed largely unchanged from the Mesozoic era until modern times, probably a result of the absence of native predators. In this respect, they could be compared with the ancient tuatara. Their place in the food chain is comparable with that held by mice and other rodents elsewhere in the world. Notably, like their foreign mouse equivalents, they also are hunted by the native owl: the Morepork.

In the absence of any land snakes in New Zealand, Weta have come to represent, for New Zealanders, the revulsion at things that creep and crawl in the dark: thus their place in folklore seems secure.

While Weta do not pose a risk of stinging or biting people, they are able to inflict painful scratches with the potential of dangerous infection. They are known to arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes.

For the film effects companies, see Weta Workshop and Weta Digital.

For the New Zealand band, see Weta (band).