Bug to scream ratio

In most relationships you have one partner who is the killer of the bugs. In our relationship that roll has been delegated to me. Please don't assume Blaise is a screamer, he just doesn't want to go near it in case it jumps at him. So when a big bug is found I get called, and the bug meets the hereafter (or depending on my mood released unharmed into the wild).

In all these years i haven't yet done the "scream"...until today.

I was taking down my laundry from my drying rack off the balcony. The same balcony where my tomato plants are incidentally (which are huge and covered in little green tomatoes) but this has not resulted in an increase in bug levels. I had just finished folding a t-shirt was turning to put it on the back of the couch when i looked down...and proceeded to do a high-pitched scream/gasp. Blaise jumped on the couch "what, what", he shouted.

"huge bug, freaking huge, it got a big ass stinger on its butt (i'm looking at it seriously now), holy smokes i think its a Weta get the freaking camera!!!"



For those of you who aren't sure what i'm talking about a Weta is an extremely large grasshopper. This thing isn't just taking protein supplements its taking form of super grasshopper steroids and shouting stuff like "feel the burn" while bench pressing a possum.

Blaise ran for the camera while i continued to laugh semi-hysterically. "its not moving at least" i said as Blaise frantically snapped photos, "do you think it stings?"
Note: the stinger is actually a sign that it was a lady weta, the female weta's egg laying probe looks like a stinger.

I could tolerate no more "get it off! get a tupperware", there was no way i mushing something that big. Plus it was starting to look pretty cute, yeah it was big and insect-y but it wasn't vicious or moving.

So we grabbed a tupperware with lid and gently placed it over the weta and slipped the lid under it.
Did i mention it was cute...scratch that. Turns out it didn't like its new situation, it threw its back legs up, which had spiky bits, and began to hiss and snap. Intrigued by this new show we decided to keep it a big longer for some new photos.

The weta obligingly kept her legs up and hissing for the next photo session and then i finally took the girl outside to the grassy embankment near the apartment.

Our friends R & A confirmed our photos were indeed of a Wellington tree weta. Turns out we got a very lucky set of photos, the things are: 1)rare now in Welly, 2)usually near old houses and wet forests (how she got up to my apartment is beyond me, 3) nocturnal so finding one in the day is really awesome.

So to get back to the ratio; how big does a bug have to be to make me scream? that big.