Wētā eat mostly plant material like leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, lichens, and other soft vegetation, but many species will also eat small insects, worms, and dead organic matter.

Main foods

  • Leaves and foliage from native shrubs and trees, especially for tree and giant wētā, which are largely herbivorous.
  • Fruits, seeds, flowers, and soft plant tissue, making them important night-time plant browsers in New Zealand ecosystems.
  • Lichens, fungi, and decaying organic matter, particularly in cave and forest habitats.

When they eat meat

  • Many wētā are omnivores that also eat other invertebrates such as small insects and worms.
  • Some groups, like tusked and ground wētā, can be mainly carnivorous, actively hunting invertebrate prey at night.
  • Scavenging on dead insects or animal material happens too, especially for cave wētā that feed on carcasses and other debris.

Differences between wētā types

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Wētā type Main diet Notes
Tree wētā Leaves, fruit, small insects Predominantly herbivorous but opportunistic omnivores.
Giant wētā Leaves, plant material, sometimes other insects Mostly plant-eaters; have been seen eating things like carrots in captivity.
Ground wētā Invertebrates, fruit Active nocturnal hunters, mainly carnivorous.
Cave wētā Lichens, fungi, dead organic matter Often scavengers, feeding in dark, damp habitats.
Tusked wētā Worms, insects Primarily carnivorous, using strong jaws while tusks are for display and combat.

Simple takeaway

  • Most wētā are omnivores , eating both plants and small animals.
  • Larger, arboreal species tend to be more plant-focused, while ground and tusked wētā lean more toward hunting other invertebrates.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.