The most common of New Zealand wētā found in gardens or bushes are the tree wētā Hemideina of the family Anostostomatidae. There are a total of seven species spread out over New Zealand, with the Wellington tree wētā Hemideina crassidens being present in ZEALANDIA.
Much like other wētā, tree wētās are nocturnal and feed on leaves and fruit at night. They tend to hide during the day in holes made by other insects. The tree wētā grow around 4-6 centimetres long and are seldom found alone, preferring to hang with groups. Males have larger heads and jaws than females, and will often fight for female mates throughout the night. Unlike many other wētā species, tree wētā may inflict a painful bite if handled because of their enlarged jaws made for fighting. Many tree wētā can be heard at night much like cicadas in summer because of how they communicate through stridulation – pegs on their hind legs are scraped over comb-like ridges on the side of their body.