Weta rescue

Discuss natural history subjects not strictly related to birds. Reports of interesting mammal, reptile, and invertebrate sightings are welcome.
flossiepip
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:27 pm

Weta rescue

Postby flossiepip » Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:51 am

We often find Weta's on the veranda early morning, unfortunately many have already fallen victim to White Porch spiders. However sometimes you get lucky and although the Weta may be entangled in the spiders web as long as the spider has not bitten home the poor insect with a little help can be saved with the some tweezers and a magnifying glass. This is one such, the spider was on to him and he was well entangled but we found him just in time to save him, a little work with the tweezers and a little time to recover his strength and off he went minus a little bit of antenna but not to bad!
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Davidthomas
Posts: 1310
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:05 am

Re: Weta rescue

Postby Davidthomas » Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:18 am

That looks like a Tusked Weta to me Flossie! Northland?
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David Riddell
Posts: 961
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:46 pm

Re: Weta rescue

Postby David Riddell » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:33 am

Good work flossiepip! I've seen these on Motukawanui in the Cavallis - walking around at night I could hear a lot of rather wimpy-sounding weta rasping, which I eventually tracked down to these guys, hiding in holes in the manuka trunks, seem to be quite common there. Also saw a dead one many years ago at Tapotupotu Bay, up near Cape Reinga.
flossiepip
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:27 pm

Re: Weta rescue

Postby flossiepip » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:45 am

Yes Northland Tusked Weta, though the spiders also give Tree Weta and Cave Weta a hard time but the little Tusked Weta seems most vulnerable to them!
Olwen
Posts: 247
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:14 am

Re: Weta rescue

Postby Olwen » Tue Oct 09, 2018 8:49 pm

A few months ago I felt something lumpy in my gumboot and discovered a flattened weta when I took it off. I put it in a shady bit of garden and when I returned about an hour later it had recovered and was walking away. Quite resilient little creatures!

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