Wetas of unusual size

[vilakins]

If you don't like insects, just pass on by, nothing to see here.

Wetas are what Weta Workshop is named after, and I rather like them. I had a pet one as a kid and fed it on apples and buried it in the garden in an old chocolate box when it died.

A couple of years ago I posted about a dead weta one of the cats brought in (scroll to the last picture). That was a normal-sized one like the one I had but this is a wetapunga, a giant weta from Little Barrier Island. Apparently it's the biggest insect on the planet (the species, not that particular one); they weigh in up to 72g, as much as a sparrow. It's apparently an example of something called island gigantism, and the genus name, Deinacrida, is Greek for terrible grasshopper which amuses me. The Tyrannosaurus Rex of the insect world.

The icon BTW is of Brian the Spider from Blake's 7, a much bigger kettle of fish eggs which probably should have been called Brianette.

Comments

[corvuscornix]

I like the look of those! I imagine they could be quite interesting as pets and not just for space-happy felt-tip artists either Did you catch your pet one "in the wild" or ar they sold in pet shops?

I wonder if the giant ones are considered the largest insect by weight? There are some HUGE stick-insects in Borneo (I had the opportunity to go there on a field trip when I was doing a course in Tropical Ecology, and we got to see one that was about 35cm long, not including legs or antennae.)

Terrible Grasshopper! :-D

[vilakins]

[Ahahaha, imagines Tynus drawing one] I just found the pet one in our garden. They're not that uncommon if you know where to look, but there aren't as many around as there were. No, they're not sold in pet shops! Most people don't even like them. :-(

I think they're considered by weight. I'm not sure how bug they get with legs and antennae included.

[corvuscornix]

True, it would probably not be a very lucrative business selling a common native species! :-) I've known several people who have kept various pet shop-bought insects, but they were of course all exotic species for this country. Though in general most people here are also biased against species that are not either mammals or birds.

[vilakins]

I think it's the number of limbs and eyes etc. Mammals and birds (and platypuses and amphibians) all have four limbs, 2 eyes, 1 mouth, and insects (and snakes) buck the trend. I even read a theory once that insects had extra-terrestrial origin because of that. Anyway I think it's the alien-ness though I've never been afraid of them unless they can bite or sting.

I like snakes too and have handled them and draped them over me in S E Asia, but we don't actually have any here.

[corvuscornix]

We have two common species of snake here, only one of which is mildly poisonous, and I see both quite frequently in summer. And although I've always liked snakes too I've noticed that when coming upon one (or something that looks or moves like one) unexpectedly, like nearly stepping on one, my body tends to react with what feels like a deeply rooted reflex avoidance instinct, jumping away almost before I can register why. (Though once I've realised, I've no problems staying close and admiring them!) That makes me wonder if fear of snakes may not be at least partly an evolutionary thing. (I've seen similar reactions in animals like dogs and horses.)

Though with insects and spiders etc I think the alien-ness is probably more important. It also makes them seem more unpredictable, perhaps. Though of course "alien" is entirely dependent on perspective. I suppose that if there are intelligent insects out there, they may regard the "inverted" internal-skeleton body-plan of vertebrates as the truly weird one. "They have all they're muscles on the outside! Gross!" :-)

[vilakins]

A favourite cat game here is "tubes" with old computer cables with the wires removed. One day Greg blew down a tube to see what the cats would do and it was intriguing: they leaped up and then bit it a little way up the tube as if they were grabbing the snake just behind the head. It has to be evolutionary or some sort of race memory as they've never seen a snake.

I did write a B7 story from the POV of the grasshopper in "Killer". :-)

[corvuscornix]

Instincts like that are really interesting - like evolutionary post-cards from a very different past, in this case one where reacting in a certain way to a snake actually made a real difference to whether a creature was likely to survive and reproduce... Cool.

Hah, yes, I think I remember that story! Messing about with points of view can be a lot of fun. :-)

[capri0mni]

I think it's adorable! What's Greek for "adorable"?

We don't get grasshoppers that bit where I live. But when I lived in (one of) the (semi-rural) forests of southeast New York, grasshoppers would come into the house in the summer, and I'd have to coax them out of the tub before I drew a bath. They always struck me as rather intelligent and curious creatures.

[vilakins]

I used to know the Greek for "I love you" which might have given me a clue but my mind's gone blank and all I can think of is Hebrew.

I like any insects that don't bite or sting me--or are flies. :-) I always try to put them outside if that's were they should be.

[trixieleitz]

We occasionally get small weta inside the house - I assume they accidentally ride in on clothing or something. I think they're rather sweet; I pop a small box down next to them, they crawl right in to the nice comforting darkness, and I take them outside where I'm sure they're much happier :)

ETA: and right after your entry I found a link to this blog entry with some interesting criticism of the news coverage.

[vilakins]

That's how I catch the lizards the cats bring in to play with (that's all they want to do but I rescue as many as I can before they hide somewhere and starve: I put a cardboard tube near them with my hand over the other end, let them crawl into the welcoming darkness, and then take them outside. So far there's only been one live weta and it was easy to catch in my hand.

I was going to link to the whole herald article but Ruud Kleinpaste was so, well, rude about the American who found the wetapunga and fed it that I decided not to. The blog you link to was much more polite. There's a line between criticism and getting personal, and Ruud crossed it.

[trixieleitz]

*goes to look*
Wow, yes, he didn't mince his words, did he?! That was a bit on the nose, especially as we don't know how much of the distortion was due to Moffett's actual claims, and how much was due to shoddy reporting.

[vilakins]

Yeah. I'd say a fair bit was reporting; they do like to blow things up.

[gwendraith]

"The Tyrannosaurus Rex of the insect world". Hehe, yes. The giant weta is a bit creepy for me but I do like our small green grasshoppers :)

[vilakins]

We have those too, but I have a special fondness for wetas.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Cool! That is one giant-ass bug! :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They're very cool! There's even a special breeding program for them so they can repopulate more islands.

[morzsa.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing a documentary about the giant wetas, and that was the point when I became an evolutionist. I was like 8 then. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That's very cool!

[vann.livejournal.com]

And they say evolution isn't real. Dang, look at the size of that thing! :D

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I think it's mainly Americans who have a down on evolution. Don't a lot of states refuse to teach it? :-P

Wetas deserve a Workshop named after them. I even have one carved from horn which I bought at a garage sale; everyone else thought it was hideous.

[ultrapsychobrat.livejournal.com]

There was one shown on the web new tonight--they're wonderful.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That one's been making the news, so you saw the same one. :-)

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

This insect looks a bit like a giant armored grasshopper indeed. I am not scared of it,it reminds me of our "chroust" beetle(May bug?).:-)I also liked keeping one in a matchbox like a child.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Mine lived in a large jar with lots of plants to help it feel at home. :-)

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

I so love that thing! You should stop over here to see more pictures:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3972007/Worlds-biggest-ever-insect-found-called-the-Weta-Bug.html

I got that link on the I heart bugs website, btw, fairly new, always interesting, lots of people from all kinds of professions other than biologist, heart bugs, it appears. Very er, heartening!

http://i-heart-bugs.livejournal.com/

And I'm sorry for the ugly URLs but I can't get LJ to accept my html for some reason.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That's the same guy in my photo! He's world-famous. :-)

Yeah, LJ's having/has had yet another DDOS attack.

[blencathra.livejournal.com]

Bloody hell! That's big bug!! Kind of friendly looking though. He looks like he should be called Harvey. :-)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

But we can all see him! ;-)

Mine was called Frankie because I had no idea of it was a girl or a boy.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

This news item posted Dec. 2, shows the largest weta ever photographed- it's eating A CARROT while standing on someone's hand. That is one cool insect.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/02/giant-weta-worlds-largest-insect_n_1126475.html?ref=green

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That's the same guy in my picture. :-)

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

He is IMPRESSIVE. Carrot-eating really got me to thinking of him as a horse. :^)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

My pipe-cleaner guys could ride him!

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Jiminy that's a big cricket! (Sorry couldn't resist that) :¬D

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-D

Apparently wetas are thought to be distantly related to Jerusalem crickets in the US, but I'm not sure how since there's a lot of ocean between them.