Auckland Tree Weta Hemideina thoracica

Ever seen a cricket climbing through tree branches? These remarkable arboreal insects have perfected the art of tree-top living, making them one of the few crickets that spend most of their lives high in the canopy. Endemic to New Zealand, they're known locally by the Māori name tokoriro, meaning "tree insect." These herbivorous generalists feast on leaves and plants at height, scuttling across foliage in diverse habitats from dense native forests to suburban gardens and scrubby woodlands. Their agility and appetite make them surprisingly common across the North Island, where they're a familiar sight to anyone with trees nearby.