36 
NATURE STUDY NOTES 
FOOD — Chiefly the edges of the leaves of shrubs. 
Do very little damage, except to tall tea-tree 
kamahi and mahoei 
CYCLE—No grub or pupa stage. Female Weta 
la) s about 50 small oval-shaped eggs, • and youm* 
Wetas hatch out of these. 45 
NOTES—This insect has three pairs of jaws. 
These do not move up and down, but laterally, 
having a cutting action similar to that of a pair 
of scissors or garden secateurs. Consequently a 
bite from the insect is distinctly noticeable. 
THE COMMON LOCUST 
DESCRIPTION —A large insect, sometimes 
nearly two inches long. The colours of its body 
are mixtures of pale greens and light browns. Its 
eyes are oval and rather prominent. Antennse are 
comparatively short, less than an inch long. All 
six legs end in sharp claws, and there are clear, 
dark blue blotches on the inside of the end pair 
11 ear the top (see p. 13). 
HABITS It can spring long distances, and when 
in flight some of its legs are dangling down. (Cf. 
the flight of a stork.) 
FOOD—Young grass, tender plants and grass 
seeds. Causes great loss in South Africa, Egypt 
and some other countries where a host of locusts 
fi equently eats every shoot of a crop of young rice, 
wheat, maize, etc. The natives light fires, beat 
di ums or kerosene tins, and make hideous noises 
to prevent the locusts from alighting on their crops. 
