Broken

I found this little chap in the wood shed today. He was already dead when I got there, which is fine by me as I much prefer my firewood without legs.

I dare you to Google image search "Weta"

This is a real weta (albeit a baby one), as opposed to the one I posted a while back that can be found here:
http://365project.org/graemestevens/365/2016-03-27

[Maggiemae]

I wonder how this poor we weta died! Maybe they shed their skin when growing??

[Annie D]

Great detail...and you know I will google...even though I know about wetas

[Rosie Kerr]

Poor little broken baby.... argh. The world is such a hard place. Still, a very nice focus.

[Debbie]

Oh my god.... I just googled it and they grow to a massive size. Not something I'd like to come face to face with

[Graeme Stevens]

@deborah63 I once woke up with one of them on my pillow. That was the first time that I screamed like a deranged school girl.
@rosiekerr Thank you very much - I actually quite like them, although I can't help jump a bit when they leap at me.
@annied A refresher never hurts ;)
@maggiemae I know for a fact that they shed because I found him in my shed... ;)

[Annie D]

@graemestevens they are very cool

[Graeme Stevens]

@annied They are - I do quite like them. On a still night they can be heard moving around our "garden" (read overgrown wilder land)

[Annie D]

@graemestevens I imagine they suit your 'garden'

[Graeme Stevens]

@annied Lets just say that I'm happy to leave them there

[Yao RL]

What a shame, I would love the expression of him cling to you when you reach your firewood.

[Graeme Stevens]

@yaorenliu It's happened a few times...I seem to have a loud scream ;)

[sally agnew]

He would crackle in the fire I guess :)

[Annie D]

@graemestevens I am thinking cool pet hahaha

[Rachel]

Ugly fellow. He would make a great snack in Asia.

[Joanne Diochon]

Nice shot and detail. Can't help wondering what did him in. What lives in your shed that is meaner than a weta?

[FotoBlah]

What-a-Weta! You made it beautiful in death. Don't tell anyone, but if I ever need to scare my sister to death, I now know which insect to use.

[Walks @ 7]

Commands respect alive or dead. And of course I googled them, like the big ones but as long as they stay down under.

[Graeme Stevens]

@joysabin I do like a person that follows instructions ;) They're a pretty cool critter
@fotoblah They look so fearsome...and yet they're harmless. I know the feeling.
@gardencat That thought had crossed my mind - my rule of thumb is to know where in the shed the biggest critter is and to leave it be. That way all the rest are under control.
@888rachel That's one way of looking at it...
@hermann They do...we've found that a few times...

[Ali P]

ahhh we all love baby photos, don't we????

[Graeme Stevens]

@alinz At least this one isn't full of snot and ribena ;)

[Jocasta]

Brilliant photo - even if it did make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

[Graeme Stevens]

@jocasta Thank you very much :)

[Jane Pittenger]

Wonderful detail, light white background

[Graeme Stevens]

@jgpittenger Thanks very much :)

[David]

You have a weta-unfriendly wood shed... the weta-police will be on to you!

[Graeme Stevens]

@yrhenwr I'll have to go in to hiding

[Saxa van Eijnsbergen]

I must say, I do find these weta's intriguing.

[Graeme Stevens]

@overalvandaan They are very intriguing. Slightly ugly in a good looking way, but intriguing

[Tabbycat]

Very awesomely captured!!
Reminds me of a cicada. My sister and I collected a scary amount of cicada shells as kids 😀

[Graeme Stevens]

@tabbycat We get those as well - I have one in the kitchen next to a mouse skull. I have no idea why.

[Caroline]

Very cool shot - and I'd google them back when you posted that metal one. Scary looking thing but so very cool!

[Graeme Stevens]

@kerosene Thanks very much - this is only a baby. I have no idea where Mum & Dad may be...