You know that scene in the newish King Kong where those folks get eaten alive in a pit of giant insects? It’s a damn character assassination, through and through.
The huge cricket-like bugs among them are based on the giant weta, the heaviest reliably reported insect on Earth, at 2.5 ounces.
And really, the movie bugs could have been even bigger for all I care—it’s that their crummy attitude is all wrong. Giant weta, for their monstrous size, are actually quite sweet.
Not like cuddly sweet, though you’re welcome to try, but sweet nonetheless.
They demand an apology. Or else…they’ll…just kinda just sit there and eat carrots.
Weta are New Zealand’s most iconic bugs, around 70 known species that range from the big ones like the giant weta to other smaller varieties: the “tree,” “tusked,” “ground,” and “cave” weta, all equally excellent in their own unique ways.
They all differ in size and features, but all are products of the strange evolutionary history of New Zealand, an island that’s enjoyed relative isolation. That is, until humans arrived and started making a mess of things.
super!
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It’s a ripper, isn’t it!
Regards, Rod
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Wow, impressive critter 🙂
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He or she is a Beauty.
Cheers rod
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