Astronomy
Biology & Medicine
Chemistry
Documentaries
Earth Sciences
Humanity
Life On Earth
Mathematics
Physics
Science Fiction
Technology
Biology & Medicine
Chemistry
Documentaries
Earth Sciences
Humanity
Life On Earth
Mathematics
Physics
Science Fiction
Technology
Articles / Flora and Fauna
Wetapunga - The World's Largest Insect
Posted by d_nov on December 3, 2011 at 8:19 pm | Hits: 985 | Comments: 0
Insects tends to disgust a lot of people, but the picture above is much cuter than one would expect.
The Wetapunga is very similar to a cricket or a grasshopper in appearance, except it's obviously much bigger. It is native to the smaller islands of New Zealand, where its population is quickly becoming endangered by rats and other mammals. Its is also officially the largest and heaviest insect in on the planet, weighting in at 70g in its adult form (heavier than a sparrow), even though some Goliath Beetles have weighed in heavier during the larval stage. Despite the size and being classified as part of the Deinacrida genus (Greek for Terrible Grasshoper), the weta's cute eyes reflect its harmlessness.
The Wetapunga is a type of weta commonly found at the Little Barrier Island in New Zealand, which is where this lovely critter gets its name from. It's a fine example of island gigantism, a biological phenomenon that makes animals isolated on an island larger in size. Island gigantism usually occurs when a species has no threat from predators or competition from other herbivores, allowing them to eat more and not have to hide.
Written by: Denis Ivanov
Source: popsci.com
Comments
There are no comments on this item.
To comment on this item, please login or register.
Drunken Monkeys Raid Resorts, Steal Alcohol (Video)
Drunken Monkeys Raid Resorts, Steal Alcohol (Video)
(These monkeys steal alcohol from people at a tropical resort and get drunk. There are some interesting parallels between drunk monkeys and human under the influence of alcohol.)
Hits: 16493
Rating: 2.79 / 5
Category: Life On Earth
Open Mouthed Boa Constrictor (Image)
(This flash map will show you earthquakes detected recently around the world.)
Posted on April 15, 2013 at 2:25 pm in Earth Sciences.
0 Comments. 54 Hits.
(The amount of ice melting on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased dramatically in recent decades.)
Posted on April 15, 2013 at 2:16 pm in Earth Sciences.
0 Comments. 41 Hits.
(Shodan is the world’s first computer search engine that lets you search the Internet for computers. Find devices based on city, country, latitude/longitude, host name, operating system and IP. “Shodan is a search engine for hackers both good and bad. Sho)
Posted on April 9, 2013 at 7:35 pm in Technology.
0 Comments. 564 Hits.
(After 17-years living below ground, billions of cicadas belonging to Brood II are beginning to emerge across much of the eastern United States. )
Posted on April 8, 2013 at 5:32 pm in Living World.
0 Comments. 38 Hits.
(By translating shapes into computerized images, this system can turn any surface into a touch-screen.)
Posted on April 1, 2013 at 8:28 am in Technology.
0 Comments. 0 Hits.
(Two forthcoming European Physical Journal D papers challenge established wisdom about the nature of vacuum. )
Posted on March 26, 2013 at 4:55 am in Physics.
0 Comments. 67 Hits.
(New developments in microscopy have allowed researchers to image individual bonds within a molecule — seeing down to the atom scale. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-can-now-see-individual-atoms-2012-9#ixzz2ONqAybqc)
Posted on March 23, 2013 at 10:06 am in Physics.
0 Comments. 87 Hits.
(Mars One co-founder tells CBC about its proposed one-way trip to the Red Planet)
Posted on March 18, 2013 at 12:39 am in Astronomy.
0 Comments. 75 Hits.
(A defense contractor better known for building jet fighters and lethal missiles says it has found a way to slash the amount of energy needed to remove salt from seawater, potentially making it vastly cheaper to produce clean water at a time when scarcity )
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 9:50 pm in Technology.
0 Comments. 194 Hits.
(New research suggests it may be possible to learn complex tasks with little to no conscious effort, just like in The Matrix. Whoa, indeed.)
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 6:28 pm in Technology.
0 Comments. 114 Hits.
(NASA technicians have just finished the mirror backplate support structure, a folding wing assembly designed with to safely collapse the beryllium mirror during flight, and expand it again in orbit.)
Posted on March 16, 2013 at 2:26 pm in Astronomy.
0 Comments. 348 Hits.
(The new find solves a puzzle about where these big-fanged felines arose)
Posted on March 16, 2013 at 8:36 am in Earth Sciences.
0 Comments. 128 Hits.
Copyright 2006-2011 Educated Earth