One of our first assignments was to capture a little known species of tusked weta. Wetas are an ancient lineage of insects related to crickets, which in New Zealand take the place of rodents.

Perhaps the most extreme adaptation of all New Zealand’s bizarre invertebrate fauna is that of the mountain stone weta. A remarkable insect with the ability to survive being seemingly frozen solid.

The mountain stone weta is a large, flightless insect. It looks a little like its relative, the grasshopper. They are nocturnal and live in the alpine habitats of New Zealand. You will mostly find ...