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Story: Wētā

Wētāpunga (giant wētā)

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Wētāpunga (giant wētā)

The wētāpunga or Little Barrier Island wētā belongs to the Anostostomatidae family – a group of large-bodied wētā. This female has raised her spiny hind legs in a defensive stance.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10034497

by Dick Veitch

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How to cite this page

George Gibbs, Wētā – What is a wētā?, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9709/wetapunga-giant-weta (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by George Gibbs, published 1 March 2009.