GENTLE GIANT WETAPUNGA

Impressed with the spectacular size and startling features of these colossal crickets, Maori dubbed them Wetapunga, god of ugly things. Later, scientists chose the genus name Deinacrida, demon grasshopper.

So far 11 Giant species have been identified spread throughout New Zealand and since 2009 the Weta Recovery Group established by the Dept of Conservation has colllaborated with dedicated organisations, iwi and individuals to help safeguard this threatened species.

This is the second book from Annemarie Florian in this series introducing threatened species. Her book Kiwi: the real story won the Children’s Choice Non-Fiction award in 2013.