London: An American explorer claims to have found the world's biggest insect on New Zealand's Little Barrier Island.
The insect is called the "Weta Bug" and has a wing span of around 18 cm and weighs "as much as three mice", The Sun reported.
The insect, which was found by 55-year-old Mark Moffett, was thought to have become extinct after Europeans brought rats to New Zealand many years ago.
"Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta. We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree. The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found," said Moffett.
IANS
First Published: Friday, December 02, 2011, 18:30