# Big 'Fella' in the Shade House



## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

I found this 'guy' in the garden this morning.

One of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. This one is the more common 'Tree Weta' about 40mm in length. It can bite with powerful mandibles. Bites are painful but not particularly common. They can inflict painful scratches, with the potential of infection, but their defence displays consist of looking large and spiky, and they will retreat if given a chance. Tree Weta arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes, and then strike downwards, so the spines could scratch the eyes of a predator. The Giant Weta can have a body (100mm excluding legs) the size of a sparrow making it the largest insect in the world.




























Cheers.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2015)

OMG, i thought New Zealand was civilised, a team of wild horses couldn't drag me there now, sorry but insects just freak me out, happy to admit i am a huge girls blouse when it comes to the beasties of the the world, ii assume you don't work for the New Zealand tourist board then? :biggrin:


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

Bruce said:


> OMG, i thought New Zealand was civilised, a team of wild horses couldn't drag me there now, sorry but insects just freak me out, happy to admit i am a huge girls blouse when it comes to the beasties of the the world, ii assume you don't work for the New Zealand tourist board then? :biggrin:


No, not for the tourist board but these guys are really cool and many NZ'ers actually make 'weta palaces' in their gardens to protect them as they are under threat, especially from feral cats.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2015)

Alexus said:


> Bruce said:
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> > OMG, i thought New Zealand was civilised, a team of wild horses couldn't drag me there now, sorry but insects just freak me out, happy to admit i am a huge girls blouse when it comes to the beasties of the the world, ii assume you don't work for the New Zealand tourist board then? :biggrin:
> ...


sorry but they make me feel under threat :biggrin: , i get how people are interested in them, just not for me


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

Bruce said:


> Alexus said:
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> > Bruce said:
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Yep me too, until I watched my wife showed me how to pick them up!


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2015)

Alexus said:


> Bruce said:
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> > Alexus said:
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 :biggrin: oh my wife has shown me on many occasion and i am more than happy for her to carry on, she`s a big strapping farm girl used to these things, can wrestle a large calf single handed, two things scare the bejeeesus out of me ...insects and heights, and i am not ashamed to admit it :yes:


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

Bruce said:


> Alexus said:
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I must admit, I am happier handling these little guys.








New Zealand has about 60 species of lizard and sadly all of them are under threat by cats, ferrets and stoats.

This little fellow that I found last week is the common Skink ( Oligosoma nigriplantare polychroma )


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Good grief, is there any native thing there that isn't horrible? :laugh:

Later,
William


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

William_Wilson said:


> Good grief, is there any native thing there that isn't horrible? :laugh:
> 
> Later,
> William


Yep....how about this native in our garden last summer.

New Zealand's largest dragonfly.....(lt. ....uropetlai carovei)










Cheers.


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

I was suspicious and looked them up. Good God, the military must use them for helicopters! :biggrin:

Later,
William


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

You're right.....it's about all our Govt. can afford!!!!


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## Faze (Mar 1, 2013)

My God, they're huge!
Ours you have to use all sorts of Macro lenses and crop the crap out of photo's, but this one you'd have too stand back to get it all in.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

I've crossed NZ off my bucket list of places to visit then!

Do they have those trapdoor spidies as well? Like Oz, ? I couldn't dare show Mrs Mel these piccies, se'd be freaked out for a month or two! :yes: :bash:


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## Alexus (Apr 9, 2003)

No Mel......no trapdoor spiders thank goodness......we do have the Katipo ( Latrodectus katipo.) Endangered species, endemic to New Zealand coastal sand dunes. Same genus as the black widow and the red back spiders of Austraila.) Capable of delivering a comparatively dangerous bite. 'Katipo' in Maori means 'night stinger.'










(borrowed pic)


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## badgersdad (May 16, 2014)

I saw a house centipede in Italy last year. My God. Imagine a massive spider with thirty legs. Urgh. How this guy can be so cheerful is beyond me.


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