World’s biggest insect - Weta insect discovered in New Zealand
December 2nd, 2011 - 10:22 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattAuckland, Dec 2 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The world’s biggest insect has been discovered on an island in New Zealand. The animal is so big that it has carrot on its list of diets! It is simply called weta.
Former park ranger Mark Moffett found the animal on a tree after roaming on the island of Little Barrier for two days. The creature which resembles cricket is confirmed as the biggest insect ever found. It weighs a massive 71 grams.
The creature is only available on the island. 53-year-old Mark told reporters that, “Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta. We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree. The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found, she weighs the equivalent to three mice.”
Mark revealed that they got careful with the animal when they realized that it was endangered species. Scientists say the wetas were nearly wiped out when the early Europeans accidentally introduced rats to New Zealand. The rats fed on the insects and they have since vanished from mainland New Zealand.
After taking the necessary detaild, Mark said he placed the animal at where they picked it from.
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Tags: carrot, cricket, diets, early europeans, giant weta, insect, insects, largest insect in the world, mainland, mark moffett, mice, new zealand auckland, park ranger, ranger mark, rats, scientists, vegetation, wetas