Australian flying weta found in Northland 11 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM 3 minutes to read The Australian winged weta has arrived in the Far North. Photo / Supplied Northern Advocate A carnivorous flying Aussie invader has arrived in the Far North, but nobody knows, yet, how much impact it will have on the environment. Entomologist Dr Jenny Dymock said the Australian winged weta - Pteropotrechus species - had established itself in the Far North. Two specimens had been found at Cable Bay, one in a letterbox and the other in a children's paddling pool, this month. The Australian weta, also known in Australia as the king cricket, was about 30-35mm long. It arrived in New Zealand in 1990, she said, but until now had only been recorded in Auckland, South Auckland and the Coromandel.