Weta report term 3

This is a piece of writing that we did for our minibeast topic when we were learning about weta. We had to write an information report on this insect.


Click here to see our success criteria

           Amazing Weta of Aotearoa

What is a weta?

Weta are a native insect to New Zealand/Aotearoa. Weta are invertebrates
that means they have there bones on the outside of their body. Weta live
up to two years.  Weta have their ears on top of their knees. Giant weta are
the heaviest insect in the world and they weigh up to 2.5 ounces but other
weta weigh up to 30g. Did you know there are 5 different types of weta in
New Zealand/Aotearoa? A cool fact about weta is the were alive before
\dinosaurs/mokonui. Weta also have antenna, thorax and an abdomen on
its body. Even though weta are ugly they are important to
New Zealand/Aotearoa. 

Where do weta live?

There are 5 main groups of weta they all live in many different/ke  places.
Some weta live in groups up to 20 and others live by themselves.Tree weta
live in the cold holes of trees or rotting wood. Ground weta live in deep
barrows in the ground that's probably why there called ground weta.
Cave weta live in sea coast caves and sometimes hollow tree trunks.
Tusk weta live on the ground and giant weta live in Island sanctuary/ruhui.

What do weta eat?

Weta eat lots of different types of food. Most weta are omnivores/pateri.
Omnivores only eat meat and plants. But some weta are herbivores.
Herbivores/kaiota only eat leaves.  A fact about weta is that they only
feed at night. Weta eat worms, small insects and fruit, flowers, seed-heads,
lichen and some eat leaves. 

Where do weta breed?

Female and male weta mate in spring and summer/matiti and female weta 
lay their eggs in Autumn/tokerau at night. A cool fact about weta is that the
lay 16 eggs at a time.When you see a female weta you think there is a
stinger at the end of their body but it is where they lay eggs. This is called
an ovipositor. The  weta lay their eggs by sticking their ovipositor in the
ground and lay her eggs.

Are weta social

There are lots of different weta and they all socialise differently. Only tree
weta live in groups. Some male weta have 10-20 female weta borrowing
with them. Did you know male weta fight over female weta? Some weta
rub their legs together to communicate.  

What are weta threats?

Weta have lots of different threats so it is hard/haumauiui for them to
survive/oranga tonutanga. There threats are mustelids(stoats, ferrets),
cats, hedgehogs, birds and reptiles. Humans can help weta by saving and making more habitat for a start.  

By Ilish!