#wetapunga

[tuatara-time]

Behold: big bug lady

If you want to get your hands on this gorgeous wētāpunga sticker, come find me at Wellington Armageddon 2026! @unconventionalvoidaxolotls and I are hosting a bug-themed stamp rally and this (as part of a collaborative sticker sheet) is one of the prizes :)

Wētā fun facts below the cut:

Only female wētā have that big ol' butt spike - it's actually an ovipositor, for laying eggs!

Wētāpunga (giant wētā) are the heaviest insects on earth, weighing up to 70 grams (gravid females, average weight is 32g for females and 7.4g for males)

Wētāpunga are found only on Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier Island), but other species of wētā are much more widespread and can be found throughout the country. All species of wētā are endemic to Aotearoa

[quarkmaster]

WETA armour set

WETA Amour Weta is native New Zealand insect. The name weta comes from the Maori word wetapunga, or “god of ugly things” . The genus name, deinacrida, means “terrible grasshopper.”

Alex Ponomarev

[rachildeart]

Wetapunga. The Giant Weta. Beautiful, endangered insects from my home country. In New Zealand we may not have anything large by way of mammals, but you can be damned sure we have some big-ass insects.

[nzherpetologist-blog]

I was extremely lucky today to encounter some amazing animals, including this absolutely amazing Giant Weta! Endemic to New Zealand and absolutely huge. This girl here was super chill and loved climbing around on my hands and arms. More posts to come!