Mouse-Weight Giant Insect Makes a Comeback in New Zealand

The wētāpunga, described as the world’s heaviest insect, is recovering in New Zealand after decades of decline and its disappearance from the mainland.

Weighing about as much as a mouse, the insect has benefited from a breeding and reintroduction programme that has released around 11,000 individuals into the wild.

The effort combines raising the insects with returning them to wild habitats, helping rebuild a population that had suffered a prolonged decline.

The recovery marks an encouraging turn for the wētāpunga, with the releases offering a path back after its loss from New Zealand’s mainland.