Cape Mountain Katydid vs Nelson Alpine Giant Weta

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cape Mountain Katydid Nelson Alpine Giant Weta
Scientific Name Pseudosaga incerta Deinacrida fallai
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Anostostomatidae
Size 40-60mm 70-90 mm body
Habitat Mountains Mountains
Diet Predators Fruit Feeders
Regions Africa Oceania
Conservation Vulnerable Vulnerable

Cape Mountain Katydid

A large predatory katydid with bold orange and blue-green warning colors. Found only on high mountain peaks in the Cape region. It is wingless and relies on chemical defenses.

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Did You Know?

When threatened it curls up to display its bright warning colors and can secrete a noxious chemical from its body.

Nelson Alpine Giant Weta

A giant weta found above the tree line in the mountains of northwest Nelson, New Zealand. Nocturnal and ground-dwelling, surviving harsh alpine conditions.

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Did You Know?

This giant weta lives above the tree line at over 1,200 meters elevation, enduring snowfall and near-freezing temperatures that would kill most tropical insects.