Japanese Cave Cricket vs Weta Piki (Jumping Weta)

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Cave Cricket Weta Piki (Jumping Weta)
Scientific Name Diestrammena japanica Hemiandrus pallitarsis
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Rhaphidophoridae Anostostomatidae
Size 15-25 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Caves Forests
Diet Fungus Feeders Detritivores
Regions Japan Oceania (New Zealand)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Japanese Cave Cricket

A large cave cricket native to Japan where it inhabits natural caves and man-made tunnels. It has very long antennae that can be three times its body length.

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Did You Know?

Its antennae can detect air currents from predators in total darkness.

Weta Piki (Jumping Weta)

A small ground weta endemic to New Zealand, found in forest leaf litter. It is nocturnal and burrows into the soil during the day. Ground weta are the most species-rich group of weta, with many species still being discovered and described.

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Did You Know?

New species of ground weta are still being discovered in New Zealand, with more than 40 species now known, many identified only in the last two decades.