Cave Weta

Gymnoplectron acanthocerum Milligan

This little weta was lurking in the bottom of one of the outdoor wood boxes.  I was able to ease the log out to the light a bit, but I knew from experience that it was useless trying to move the weta to a better background.  It would be gone in a flash.

Weta are like large grasshoppers.  Cave weta have very long legs and antennae.  This one had a body length of about one cm and its antennae were more than three times that.  With its legs stretched out it would be about 8 or 9 cm.  Big ones are more than 30 cm, but the biggest I see here are about half that.

They are nocturnal and live in dark places.  They eat plants, fungi and other insects, and are entirely harmless to humans.

Looks good in large.

Creepy movie about cave weta.