The Zoologist — August, 1807. 849 



Notes on the Genus Deinacrida in New Zealand. 

 By Walter Buller, Esq., F.L.S. 



Of the curious genus Deinacrida two New Zealand species are 

 already recorded, Deinacrida heteracantha and D. thoracica. The 

 following notes respecting these species and another which has not 

 hitherto been described may prove interesting to readers of the 

 ' Zoologist.' 



1. Deinacrida heteracantha ("Weta-punga'' of the natives). — 

 This fine species has a very limited geographical range. I have never 

 heard of its occurrence south of the Waikato district in the North 

 Island. Formerly it was abundant in the forests north of Auckland ; 

 of late years it has become extremely rare. The natives attribute its 

 extermination to the introduced Norway rat, which now infests every 

 part of the country, and devours almost anything. One of these 

 insects, in the collection of the late Mr. Sinclair, measured, with its 

 hind legs and antennae stretched out, fourteen inches ; its head and 

 body, exclusive of appendages, being two inches and a half. A speci- 

 men which I obtained in a pine forest near the Kaipara River, more 

 than ten years ago, and which is now deposited in the Auckland 

 Museum, is even larger. The sexes differ considerably in size. The 

 weta-punga appears to subsist chiefly on the green leaves of trees and 

 shrubs: it climbs with agility, and is sometimes found on the top- 

 most branches of the Kahikatea and other lofty trees. When disturbed 

 it produces a clicking noise, accompanied by a slow movement of its 

 hind legs. When taken it kicks or strikes backwards with its long 

 hind legs, which are armed with double rows of sharp spurs ; and 

 unless dexterously seized will not fail to punish the offender's hand, 

 the prick of its spurs causing an unpleasant stinging sensation. My 

 friend Mr. William Mair, of Deveron, obtained some exceedingly fine 

 examples of this insect in the Whangarei district. He found the 

 killing of them, so as not to injure the specimens, a matter of some 

 difficulty ; and in one instance attempted to drown the insect in cold 

 water, but found it, after four days' immersion, as lively and active as 

 ever. In another case, a large weta-punga, which he had immersed 

 in almost boiling water and laid aside in his insect-box as killed, 

 revived in the course of a few hours, and appeared to be quite 

 unharmed ! A pair which I caught in a low belt of wood near the 

 Wairoa, and secured in a pocket-handkerchief, ale their way out, and 



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