It was originally described by Frederick Hutton in 1896, based on two male and five female specimens from Banks Peninsula and South Canterbury.

[2] Adults of the Banks Peninsula tree wētā are red-brown in colour, can weigh 4–6 g, and can reach 40–55 mm in length.

[citation needed] Hemideina ricta is similar to H. femorata, which is also found in forest fragments on Banks Peninsula.

[5] Hemideina ricta generally does not dig its own cavities, instead occupying those previously made by the larvae of other insects,[8] preferably those with a small opening (wide enough for its head to fit through) with a large space inside.

[citation needed] The species is listed as At Risk - Naturally Uncommon in the most recent assessment (2022) of the New Zealand Threatened Classification for insects.

Mating generally occurs within cavities at night,[7] as this is where large groups of females gather to seek out shelter.

[10] After mating the female needs to leave the safety of the tree cavity in order to descend to the ground to lay her eggs.

[5][11] The main predators of Hemideina ricta are non-native mammal rodents, specifically rats and possums, which are pests throughout mainland New Zealand and some offshore islands.