FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

So I received a ventricosa x ephippiata and Miranda the other day from a friend who asked me to revive them and the Miranda looked well eaten up. So I said sweet, shouldn't be too hard. Trimmed the dead bits, wiped leaves down and didn't see any bugs?! Weird. Anyway, went out at night to have a look and was quite surprised to this this lady:
Normally Weta live in holes in trees, but this one has made its home in the soft sphagnum in the ventricosa x ephippiata and visits the Miranda to eat the leaves. Just thought it was quite funny. Here's a few more pics


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's quite a big bug! So it's been chewing on the leaves?

Did you try dropping it in the pitcher ?

Lol it's an endemic species here in New Zealand. No way I'd try to kill it! Yes, been munching down on the Miranda leaves!! Must be quite tasty!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cool bug!
Potential pet? If not, maybe put it somewhere else that it'll like?

I think she's quite happy in the plant so I'm reluctant to move her out. Have been giving her apple and carrot and she's pretty happy with that. Too big to fall into a pitcher so that's good. The female weta are much larger than males so she'll be pretty safe. Seems to have a thing for pitcher plants lol the plant is outside so if she feels like moving on she can. Ground species tend to stay near their holes a lot though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha they are very special bugs though!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk