The adult female is distinguished from the male by having a slightly curved, scimitar-like ovipositor that extends from the rare of her abdomen[3] and is almost as long as her body.

Females have larger, stockier bodies, while males can be distinguished by long hind-legs,[5] which suggests they might have the role of searchers in scramble-mate competition.

[6] Both sexes have long filiform antennae between 150-200mm in length, which consist of over 500 flagellomeres (antennal segments) in total.

Males have large spines (fused setae) on their antennae, found on both the dorsal and ventral sides.

Cannibalism is also known to occur within cave wētā species, with most vulnerable times being during the mating season and post-moult.