Weta

Weta is the name given to about 70 insect species endemic to New Zealand. Many similar species occur around the world, though most are in the Southern Hemisphere. The name comes from the Māori word wētā, and is the same in the plural (like 'sheep'). The Māori word for the giant weta is wētā punga (lumpy or jointed weta).

New Zealand visual effects houses Weta Workshop and Weta Digital were named after the insect.

Read more about Weta:  General Characteristics, Taxonomy and Evolution, Lifecycle, Conservation