Weta vs Predatory Bush Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Weta Predatory Bush Cricket
Scientific Name Deinacrida heteracantha Saga pedo
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Anostostomatidae Tettigoniidae
Size 70-100 mm (body only) 60-120mm
Habitat Caves Heathland
Diet Fruit Feeders Predators
Regions Oceania Europe, Asia
Conservation Vulnerable Vulnerable

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.

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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.

Predatory Bush Cricket

The largest European bush-cricket reaching up to 12cm. It is a formidable predator of other insects. The entire known population is female, reproducing by parthenogenesis.

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Did You Know?

No males have ever been found; all individuals are female and reproduce through parthenogenesis (cloning).