Giant wetas are species of weta in the genus Deinacrida of the family Anostostomatidae. Giant wetas are endemic to New Zealand. This article is about the insect. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... This article is about the insect. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ...

There are 11 species of giant weta, most of which are significantly larger than other weta, despite already being large by insect standards. They are heavy insects with a body length of up to 10 cm (4 in) not inclusive of its lengthy legs and antennae, and weigh more than 70 g (2.5 oz), making it one of the heaviest documented insects in the world ^[1] and heavier than a sparrow. The largest species of giant weta is the Little Barrier Island giant weta also known as the wetapunga. Giant weta tend to be less social and more passive than other weta. Their genus name, Deinacrida, is Greek for terrible grasshopper. They are found primarily on New Zealand offshore islands, having been almost exterminated on the mainland islands by introduced mammalian pests. A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Insects display a wide variety of antennal shapes. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... The ounce (abbreviation: oz) is the name of a unit of mass in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Genera Passer Petronia Carpospiza Montifringilla The true sparrows, the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae, are small passerine birds. ... Little Barrier Island lies at the outer edge of the Hauraki Gulf, off the northern coast of New Zealands North Island. ...

Species

• Deinacrida carinata Salmon, 1950 Herekopare giant weta
• Deinacrida connectens (Ander, 1939) Alpine scree giant weta
• Deinacrida elegans Gibbs, 1999 Bluff giant weta
• Deinacrida fallai Salmon, 1950 Poor Knights giant weta
• Deinacrida heteracantha White, 1842 Little Barrier Island giant weta
• Deinacrida mahoenui Gibbs, 1999 Mahoenui giant weta
• Deinacrida parva Buller, 1895 Kaikoura giant weta
• Deinacrida pluvialis Gibbs, 1999 Giant weta
• Deinacrida rugosa Buller, 1871 Cook Strait giant weta
• Deinacrida talpa Gibbs, 1999 Giant mole weta
• Deinacrida tibiospina (Salmon, 1950) Mt Arthur giant weta

References

• Royal Society of New Zealand
• IUCN
• Peripatus
• TerraNature