I think I know what shirt design I'd like to make next

#insects #bugs #polyphemusmoth #giantweta #goliathbeetle #bigbugs #art

And she's done!

'Giganormous winged Weta'
Acrylic on canvas
2026
(Full painting in comments)

#insectpainting #nzartist #weta #giantweta #insectsofnz

#Meganeuropsis 🦟 vs. Modern Insects 🐛✨

The largest #insect today, the #GiantWētā 🦗 of New Zealand, weighs about 70g (2.5 oz).

The widest wingspan belongs to the #WhiteWitchMoth 🦋 at 12 inches (30 cm)—still less than half of Meganeuropsis's massive 28-inch (71 cm) wingspan.😱

#Prehistoric #Extinct

In a new #RESInsectConsDiv article, genomic data finds minimal evidence of decline in genetic diversity following #conservation #translocation of Aotearoa New Zealand's nationally critical Mahoenui #GiantWētā (Deinacrida mahoenui)

#OpenAccess🔽
doi.org/10.1111/icad.12810

@manusaunders.bsky.social

This cute beings is the giant wētā. They are found in New Zealand and are protected since extinction is a huge risk for this biguns.

#insect #giantwētā #NewZealand

Me (+ hair) with a #giantweta circa 1997 (photo taken and courtesy of me old china, Nathan McNally)