Mount Arthur Cave Weta vs Kaikoura Giant Weta

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mount Arthur Cave Weta Kaikoura Giant Weta
Scientific Name Miotopus diversus Deinacrida parva
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Rhaphidophoridae Anostostomatidae
Size 15-25 mm 35-50 mm
Habitat Caves Mountains
Diet Fungus Feeders Herbivores
Regions New Zealand Oceania (New Zealand - Kaikoura Range)
Conservation Data Deficient Vulnerable

Mount Arthur Cave Weta

A cave weta endemic to caves in the Nelson region of New Zealand's South Island. It has extremely long antennae and pale coloration.

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Did You Know?

It lives in some of the deepest and most remote caves in the Southern Hemisphere.

Kaikoura Giant Weta

One of the smaller species of giant weta, endemic to the Seaward Kaikoura Range in the South Island of New Zealand. Despite its name, it is only giant relative to most insects. It inhabits alpine herbfields and scrub near the treeline.

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Did You Know?

Despite the species name 'parva' meaning small, this weta still dwarfs most European and North American orthopterans.