Say hello to the spine tingling Giant Weta. What is a Giant Weta, you ask? Well, it’s a gigantic cricket-like insect that’s also the largest insect in the world. It’s as heavy as three mice and even bigger than some birds. BE AFRAID LITTLE HUMANS.
The wingspan of this insect (I don’t feel like the word insect does this thing justice) is only 18cm (seven inches) but look at the thing on a human’s hands. It’s alien, it’s not right. I get queasy looking at it. Luckily, the Giant Weta is only found on Little Barrier Island in New Zealand so I’ll just avoid that area for the rest of my life and live in peace. The island actually helps the Giant Weta grow so monstrously large because there are fewer predators in its habitat. Not cool.
Image: Mark Moffett/Minden Pictures/Solent
Clint
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:15 AMI’ve had one of these bad boys on my arm before (voluntarily). The are very slow and very heavy, but chances are very slim you’d ever run into these guys outside of a forest. On the other hand, their smaller brethren are very very common and have a nasty habit of scaring the shit out of you by turning up when you least expect them. For bonus points you can spot huge wetas in King Kong when they fall into the ravine
LucasF
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3:58 PMActually, they also have “normal” sized Weta’s on the main land in New Zealand and they are still bigger than any bug I have seen in Australia. Fairly harmless though, just scary looking.
Anon
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 11:46 PMThere was one of these on Im a celebrity get me out of here, Mark spotted it near his bed and thought it was some sort of mutated mouse.
m_ulrich
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 4:46 AMI think that thing was in District 9.
Timmahh
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:42 AMFrom what I hear the little bastards bite too,.. that’s the regular ones, don’t know if the bigguns do or not! Mind you from the looks of those spikes and hooks on their legs, it would probably feel like bite if they snag you.
Awnshegh
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:50 AMI want one. I’d put a leash on it and walk it down the streets of Sydney.
Lissy
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 6:31 PMBrilliant! make him a little saddle to carry your groceries ..
Lillee
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:51 AMEverything comes bigger in Middle Earth, elephants, insects and err… accents
olearymo
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 9:03 AMfries up good.
Ash
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:21 AMI’d love to see Bear Grylls chomp into one of those.
kyyle
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:25 AMid love to see one of those chomp into bear grylls
TSH
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 11:00 AMIn Soviet Russia, insect chomps into YOU!!
Charles
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:47 PM*groan*
James
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:33 AMIt’s so cute, i want one as a pet!
Maniacal
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 11:07 AMi feed insects to my greedy arse oscar all the time, but I would have to say this weta would be more than even that greedy arse fish could munch on
Greg
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 1:20 PMMy oscars never particularly liked grasshoppers. i had to fish more then a couple out of the tank after they had been partially destroyed.
bazuden
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 2:34 PMAccording to the Stuff website, that one’s actually no bigger than most females of the species.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/6076169/Whopping-weta-wows-the-world
I hear they’re extremely docile. Probably why they’ve been wiped out on the main islands.
Ozoneocean
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3:05 PMImpressive!
But then crabs, crayfish, lobsters etc are all virtually the same type of creature as terrestrial insects, aren’t they? So size isn’t all that big of a thing here, pardon the pun :)
George
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 5:42 PMDafuq is this?
Nathan
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 6:06 PMJust because this comment is inevitable, I’m going to get right out in front of it:
DAMN NATURE, YOU SCARY
James
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 6:18 PMNope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Zengster
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 9:30 PMIt must be a nice insect :P
Dr_Stef
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 9:50 PMDo an article on giant Coconut Crabs next.. o PLEASSEE!!!!
http://www.jaunted.com/files/16133/Coconut_Crab_385.jpg
Nick
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:53 PMThe only good buy is a dead bug
Nick
Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:54 PMThe only good bug is a dead bug
lou
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 6:43 AMthese Giant Wetas are actually endangered and pretty damn cool. they’re slow and gentle from what I’ve seen and it’s sad that they could disappear one day.
chrisp
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 4:11 PM“oh shut! ut’s a bug unsuckt!”
Osiris Fox
Monday, December 5, 2011 at 1:46 PMBwaaaahahahahaha!!!
Dave
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 6:30 PMPeter Jackson’s digital effects company is named after this beastie.
Alex
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 9:28 AMI’ve been to the museum/studio, The Weta Cave.
So many weird things there, lol.
Mmmmm
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 11:26 PMImagine the mess on your windsreen when it hits your car at 100kmh?