Hemideina ricta The thorax contains the front, middle and hind legs of the weta, each leg is made up of six segments; the coxa, the trochanter, the femur, the tibia, the tarsus and the pretarsus. The ear of the weta can be found at the top of the tibia near the knee joint of the front legs. The tibia of the hind legs are covered in spines, that can be rubbed against the stridulatory ridges on the side of the body to produce a sound, these can also be used as a defence mechanism against predators. Banks Peninsula tree weta can be
Femur the third trochanter varies from 17–72% between ethnic groups and it is frequently reported as more common in females than in males. The lower extremity of the femur (or distal extremity) is larger than the upper extremity. It is somewhat cuboid in form, but its transverse diameter is greater than its antero-posterior (front to back). It consists of two oblong eminences known as the condyles. Anteriorly, the condyles are slightly prominent and are separated by a smooth shallow articular depression called the patellar surface. Posteriorly, they project considerably and a deep notch, the Intercondylar fossa of femur, is present between