Bug FAQMountain Stone Weta
Hemideina maori · Order: Orthoptera · Family: Anostostomatidae
Mountain stone wētā are large, flightless insects about 6 cm long that live high up on the South Island of New Zealand. They hide in rock-slab cavities during the day, eat plants, moss and other insects, and can take four or more years to reach adulthood.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males show extreme differences in weapon size, likely due to male-male combat for mates.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a body length of roughly 6 cm.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
When threatened they often play dead and may regurgitate an irritant substance.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found above the tree line on high-elevation sites of New Zealand’s South Island. During daylight they shelter in cavities under broken schist rock slabs (tors).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Their diet includes tussock grass, moss and a variety of invertebrates. They act as both scavengers and predators of insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
They have a multi-year life cycle, needing at least four years to become sexually mature. Some individuals survive through four breeding seasons. Mating finishes before the cold alpine winter, in March and April.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
A single male may share a refuge with up to seven females, increasing his mating chances. Copulation usually occurs inside the rock refuges, allowing quick mating when a female returns.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is endemic to New Zealand and does not occur elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Unlike other Hemideina species, H. maori lives in alpine habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do mountain stone wētā eat?
They feed on tussock grass, moss and other insects, acting as both scavengers and predators.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find mountain stone wētā?
They live above the tree line on the South Island of New Zealand, hiding in rock-slab cavities during the day.
Source: Wikipedia
How long does it take for them to mature?
They need at least four years to reach sexual maturity and can live through several breeding seasons.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Anostostomatidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemideina_maori
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.