The new species of “lightning” wētā found in the Marlborough Sounds. A new species of ground wētā named “lightning” after its rapid body drumming has been discovered in the Marlborough Sounds. Massey University researchers have found the lightning wētā, or Hemiandrus sterope, in the Sounds region of the top of the south. The rapid drumming seen in the lightning wētā describes how the insect beats its abdomen against a leaf, or structure. They believed the lightning wētā drummed out a pulse, and the vibrations were picked up by other wētā.

Source: Stuff August 26, 2020 17:03 UTC