Female Mahoenui giant wētā lay 200–400 eggs in autumn, burying them about 25 mm deep into the soil with their ovipositor.
The eggs are about 7 mm long, and take 10 months to hatch, with the 8 mm nymphs emerging in March or April.
Nymphs grow rapidly, eating other insects (they are cannibalistic) as well as leaves, bark, and leaf litter.
They shed their exoskeleton every month until August, then bimonthly until February, going through 10 stages or instars.

Once they reach maturity in autumn, females signal they are ready to mate with pheromones in their droppings.
Males follow this scent and caress the females with their antennae before mating takes place.
Adults die after egglaying, just before winter.
Their life cycle in total lasts 22–24 months, very short compared to some other species of large wētā which can live for over 10 years in captivity.
Female Mahoenui giant wētā lay 200–400 eggs in autumn, burying them about 25 mm deep into the soil with their ovipositor. The eggs are about 7 mm long, and take 10 months to hatch, with the 8 mm nymphs emerging in March or April. Nymphs grow rapidly, eating other insects (they are cannibalistic) as well as leaves, bark, and leaf litter. They shed their exoskeleton every month until August, then bimonthly until February, going through 10 stages or instars.
Once they reach maturity in autumn, females signal they are ready to mate with pheromones in their droppings. Males follow this scent and caress the females with their antennae before mating takes place. Adults die after egglaying, just before winter. Their life cycle in total lasts 22–24 months, very short compared to some other species of large wētā which can live for over 10 years in captivity.
Deinacrida mahoenui