The Tree Weta is an insect the size of a gerbil. It looks like a cricket, but in XXL. This nocturnal critter, native to New Zealand, is considered the heaviest insect on Earth.
The Weta group of insects are relatives of crickets and grasshoppers. This video explains their evolution from small crickets — due to isolation over a long period without predators, crickets in this region evolved into Wetas.
Wetas feed on leaves, fruit, bark, and occasionally small insects. They use powerful mandibles to bite and can produce a rasping sound (like smaller crickets) by rubbing their legs against their bodies. In the video, you can see someone holding one of these bizarre creatures. He even allows the Weta to bite him (apparently, the bite looks much worse than it feels).
