Weta vs Moss Katydid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Weta Moss Katydid
Scientific Name Deinacrida heteracantha Haemodiasma tessellata
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Anostostomatidae Tettigoniidae
Size 70-100 mm (body only) 35-50 mm
Habitat Caves Mountains
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Oceania Borneo, Sumatra
Conservation Vulnerable Not Evaluated

Weta

Giant insects endemic to New Zealand, some of the heaviest in the world. Wetapunga can weigh up to 70 grams. Living fossils that have remained virtually unchanged for 190 million years.

💡

Did You Know?

The giant weta is so heavy it cannot jump — weighing up to 70 grams (heavier than a mouse), it is one of the heaviest insects on Earth and a living fossil from the age of dinosaurs.

Moss Katydid

A katydid with a body covered in textured bumps and green-brown coloring that mimics moss and bark. It is virtually invisible when pressed against a mossy branch.

💡

Did You Know?

Its body surface even mimics the tiny structures of real moss, including sporophyte-like bumps across its wings.