Southern Alps giant wētā

Deinacrida pluvialis

Threatened - Nationally Endangered

Hardy, ancient and built for the heights, the Southern Alps giant wētā (wētā punga o Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a true survivor of Aotearoa’s rugged alpine world. Found among the scree slopes and herb fields of the South Island’s mountain ranges, this remarkable insect endures freezing nights and fierce winds where few other creatures can. A living relic of prehistoric times, the giant wētā embodies the resilience of life above the bushline.

Quick Facts:

• One of New Zealand’s largest insects – females can weigh more than a sparrow!
• Perfectly adapted to cold alpine conditions, they can survive being frozen solid overnight.
• Nocturnal and mostly solitary, they feed on leaves, flowers, and lichens high in the mountains.
• Unlike many other wētā species, they live far above the forest, from Arthur’s Pass to Fiordland.
• Threatened by introduced predators like mice and stoats, as well as climate change shrinking their alpine habitat.

Protecting the Southern Alps giant wētā means safeguarding our fragile alpine ecosystems – wild, cold and breathtakingly beautiful. Where there’s wētā, there’s wilderness at its toughest.

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