I have just finished cleaning out the garden shed and removing an pile of old firewood. As I predicted it was the home to several wetas. I managed to photograph one very angry speciman. I have put three in a terrarium to observe them for a while.
When they are angry/frightened they either leap around like a grasshopper, or they turn and face you and lift their back legs up and try to slash you with them. If you enlarge the photos you can see the spines on their legs.
They can also bite but I have never been bitten by one.
The wetas in the photos were each around just under two inches(5cm)long.
I have left a heap of logs so they will still have a habitat if they wish to stay.
Oh, my word! I hadn't noticed the leg spikes... Those Weta(s? ae? what would the plural be??) are really something. I'm glad you have room for them to stay in your woodpile, should they so choose.
I forgot to ask what they ate... A friend of mine is caring for 1,000 ladybugs over the winter, and is feeding them softened, sliced raisins... But I have the feeling those Weta (s?) eat other insects...
hehe, yes they will eat other insects, they like aphids apparently. But they also eat fruit and some soft grasses. I have been reading more about them and the males will eat the young - sounds daft to me, the young take 9 months to hatch so they are not prolific breeders!
Good grief, wouldn't like to encounter one of them in my shed. A woodlouse is about as much as I'd cope with. We almost emigrated to NZ a few years back, so loving reading about your country, fab photos by the way. Have you finished 'Deathly Hallows' yet? I'm halfway through and really engrossed, best of the series in my opinion. Gail
8 comments:
How do they behave when they are angry? Do they bite? I'll bet it would hurt... They look large enough to be capable of some damage!!
Brave you... Enjoy your nice, clean shed!
xo CGF
When they are angry/frightened they either leap around like a grasshopper, or they turn and face you and lift their back legs up and try to slash you with them. If you enlarge the photos you can see the spines on their legs.
They can also bite but I have never been bitten by one.
The wetas in the photos were each around just under two inches(5cm)long.
I have left a heap of logs so they will still have a habitat if they wish to stay.
Oh, my word! I hadn't noticed the leg spikes... Those Weta(s? ae? what would the plural be??) are really something. I'm glad you have room for them to stay in your woodpile, should they so choose.
I forgot to ask what they ate... A friend of mine is caring for 1,000 ladybugs over the winter, and is feeding them softened, sliced raisins... But I have the feeling those Weta (s?) eat other insects...
xo CGF
hehe, yes they will eat other insects, they like aphids apparently. But they also eat fruit and some soft grasses. I have been reading more about them and the males will eat the young - sounds daft to me, the young take 9 months to hatch so they are not prolific breeders!
The plural is wetas.
I'm glad we don't have wetas here in the US!
Looks like you have a beautiful garden.
Wetas are really rather scared of us and try to hide away in dark places.
So we really never see them unless we go looking for them or clean out an old woodpile or garden shed!
Thanks for stopping by Southernjoy.
Good grief, wouldn't like to encounter one of them in my shed. A woodlouse is about as much as I'd cope with.
We almost emigrated to NZ a few years back, so loving reading about your country, fab photos by the way.
Have you finished 'Deathly Hallows' yet? I'm halfway through and really engrossed, best of the series in my opinion.
Gail
Wow- those are some scary mutants.
I would have screamed like a girl if I saw them.
Post a Comment