Mt Arthur Giant Weta

As one of the smallest known species of giant wētā, Deinacrida tibiospina grows to only around 30-40mm long, and weigh just 7 grams. Like many other giant wētā, such as Deinacrida rugosa, the overlapping armoured plates on their back are wrinkled. Adults of the species can be varying shades of brown, sometimes with a reddish hue. Their bodies have a compressed appearance and dense spines on the upper side of their hind femurs. As with almost all wētā, D. tibiospina are wingless. There is sexual dimorphism in this species. Female D. tibiospina are larger than males, a common trait in many Orthoptera. Males of the species also have fewer hind femoral spines than females.

Deinacrida tibiospina live in alpine areas of Kahurangi National Park, located at the North-Western corner of New Zealand's South Island. The wētā dwell above the tree line in sub-alpine tussock and herbfield zones of mountains, observed at altitudes between 900 and 1500 meters. Populations of D. tibiospina occur at very low densities at scattered localities within the central and eastern areas of what was North-West Nelson Forest Park.