Weta is the name given to about 70 insect species endemic to New Zealand. There are many similar species around the world, though most are in the southern hemisphere. The name comes from the Maori word weta and is the same in the plural (like -sheep'). The Maori word for the Giant Weta is 'weta punga', sometimes rendered in English as 'god of ugly things'.
http://www.chrocodile.co.cc/2010/09/giant-insect-ever-weta-punga.html
