Pictured above is a giant weta. Actually, it’s a giant giant weta. You see, giant wetas are, as a species, larger than any other species of insect currently in existence. The one above is the largest particular giant weta, a goliath of goliaths. The specimen was found by former park ranger Mark Moffett on Little Barrier Island in New Zealand, the only place giant wetas are known to currently live. Surprisingly enough, Moffett was actually looking for the bugs, so the discovery was something to be celebrated, not something to be feared and haunted by, as I initially assumed upon seeing the picture.

This little gargantuan bugger has a wingspan of about seven inches and weighs about as much as three mice. It also has the ability to eat your dreams and can literally frighten your heart out of your body if encountered unexpectedly. Moffet however, seems to be immune to the fact that the giant weta is positively terrifying, and had this to say:

“Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta. We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree.” “She enjoyed the carrot so much she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands and carried on munching away. She would have finished the carrot very quickly, but this is an extremely endangered species and we didn’t want to risk indigestion. After she had chewed a little I took this picture and we put her right back where we found her.”

I do have to admit that after looking at these pictures for a bit, she’s actually sort of cute, in a blood-curdling sort of way.

(via Daily Mail)

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