North American weta (SciiFii)

The North American wētā or North American weta (Allohemideina arborealis) is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal cricket that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands across North America to help boost biodiversity. Despite its name, the North American wētā is not closely related to New Zealand wētās, but most closely related to the crickets of the genus Gryllus, being the only living member of the family Allohemideinidae. The North American wētā is one of the largest North American cricket species, weighing up to 70 grams, but on average weighs between 9–35 grams. Average body length is around 75 mm (3 inches). It is a sexually dimorphic species, with the females being much larger than the males. These large crickets have a broad body and a round head, along with short mandibles. Compared to other cricket species, North American wētās have relatively average antennae length, but can deliver a strong kick with their hind legs. Compared with other North American crickets, the North American wētās have special proteins that do not let ice crystals form in their cells protecting them from freezing in ice, so essentially, they have a special power allowing them to be completely frozen almost indefinitely and then defrosted and thawed-out almost automatically reanimated back to life. The species is mainly herbivorous and feeds on many types of foliage. They live a solitary lifestyle and most of their activity is done at night (i.e. feeding and moving). They can be found above ground level under rocks, loose wood, or in the cavities of trees. During the day and night males tend to move farther than the females. The male would follow the female by staying back about 25 centimeters from her; this is observed during the night time. Eggs are laid in the summer months from June to September. The eggs will then hatch in late January and February of the following year. North American wētās mate most months out of the year except for the winter months from December-January. Copulation will start in the morning and continue throughout the day. During copulation the spermatophore from the male is inserted into the female's subgenital plate. Females lay their eggs at night into moist soil. Each egg is laid singly or in groups of five in area that is about 15 cm2 and about 2–3 cm deep. Females only produce an indefinite amount of eggs. Females lay eggs for the rest of their lives, but only a limited number of them are fertilised during each copulation. The eggs incubate on average for 125 days and only 48% of the eggs survive to hatch. After the eggs hatch there are ten instars that they go through until death. In females the ovipositor becomes visible at the third instar. At the sixth instar the difference between male and female sexes becomes obvious. Each instar lasts on average between five and six weeks. North American wētās has an extra instar compared to other many other crickets, this extra instar is what makes the nymphal period longer and their overall body size larger. North American wētās show no courtship rituals. They can live on average for up to between two and six years, although some specimens have been known to live as long as ten years. The conservation status of the North American wētā is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American wētā's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii