The large nocturnal insect native to New Zealand that ranks among the world’s heaviest insects is the giant wētā, commonly written giant weta.
Giant wētā are several species in the genus Deinacrida, a group of flightless orthopteran insects endemic to New Zealand. They resemble enormous crickets or grasshoppers, with long antennae and strong, spiny legs. Their Māori name is wētāpunga, meaning “god of ugly things” or “big wētā” in commonly cited translations, while Deinacrida comes from Greek roots meaning “terrible grasshopper.”
There are 11 recognized giant-wētā species. Large individuals can reach about 100 millimetres in body length, excluding legs and antennae, and normally weigh roughly 20–30 grams. An egg-filled captive female reached about 70 grams, an exceptional record that placed it among the heaviest documented insects and made it heavier than a sparrow.
Giant wētā are generally nocturnal, herbivorous, relatively passive, and less social than some other wētā. Many survive mainly on offshore islands or at high elevations because introduced rats and other mammals devastated mainland populations. Most species are legally protected in New Zealand.