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This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
Dozens of giant Dotā w have been released on Motuihe Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf as part of efforts to reinforce the number of rare and threatened creatures.
A breeding and conservation program involving the Auckland Zoo, the DOC and the local iwi has returned some 5,000 of the prehistoric-looking insects to the island pest free since 2012.
Auckland Zoo
A wà ?? you punga – Giant wà ?? – to be launched on Motuihe.
Auckland Zoo ectotherm team leader Don McFarlane said that 70 adult-size wētāpunga were fired on Motuihe Island a few days ago and that colossal plant chewers play a vital role in keeping the forest healthy.
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“In terms of specialty, they are certainly endemic to New Zealand, found nowhere else on the planet,” he said. Control.
“The Department of Conservation believes that they are not doing as well as they should, so they have been listed as a species that needs action and help.”
They are rightly called ‘giants,’ McFarlane said, as they are in the Guinness Book of Records for being one of the largest insects in the world.
“These guys are in the record books at 70 grams, which is increasing for the size of a saddle … which is one of their top predators.”
Auckland Zoo
These guys are in the record books at 70 grams, which is going up for the size of a saddle … which is one of their top predators.
The launch of the wētāpunga has been the fulfillment of a dream for McFarlane, and it is something that he would like to see continue on the islands around the Hauraki Gulf.
Breeding was not a problem for the insects, he said, but raising the young was where help was needed.
“They can produce many hundreds of nymphs or babies. We collected six from the ‘founding’ island of Hauturu. Thus we can have in our wētā breeding room more than 2000 individuals.
“But getting them to six months (2000 hungry mouths on the line so they’re ready and strong for launch) is a huge commitment, so we’re talking three days a week, eight hours a day, and we have a specialist team. They collect all the food they need, so it’s a huge commitment.
“It is safe to assume that they were [on the islands] before humans came, so they belong there, “he said.
“They have been called regenerators of the forest, they have been called the New Zealand mouse. They are like many other species of wētā in New Zealand, they belong to the forest, they return nutrients to the soil through their giant poop, I think one of the poop largest of any insect.
“When they hit the ground from the trees, I can tell you, you can hear it, certainly in our room with 2000 wētā, you can hear them all, almost shitting in sync.
“That is its contribution to the cycling of nutrients in the forest floor, so it was lacking before. The forest is only healthier with the addition of wētāpunga.”
To some, they may look creepy, but McFarlane says beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
“Their entire life cycle is fascinating, and with fascination comes appreciation … They have a certain beauty in my eyes.”
On the islands, workers track the development of wētā with new tools, including a unit that attracts the insects with bait and captures photos of them, which are uploaded automatically.
“So we can remotely see what you’re visiting … and get an idea if they’re there, what stage they’re at, and hopefully the numbers.”
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
