The largest insect in the world: photo and description. The largest insects in the world: photo Top 10 largest insects in the world

The heaviest insect

There is an insect that is rather sonorously called the goliath beetle. He is the bearer of both the title of the heaviest beetle on the planet, and the title of the heaviest insect. The beetle got its self-explanatory name, most likely, just for its size. The length is measured from the end of the small horns to the very edge of the abdomen, and in males it is eleven centimeters with a width of six centimeters, and the length of females varies from five to eight centimeters. The weight adult- about a hundred grams. It is not easy to hold such a giant in your hands, it is very strong.

These insects are "close relatives" of May beetles, their habitat is Upper Guinea. Most often goliaths are black, white color they have heads, as well as other parts of the body. Females and males differ not only in size. So, the male has a branched horn on his head, which the female does not have. Her head is in the form of a shield, which helps her to dig the earth to build a cradle for her eggs.

In giant beetles, the larvae are also huge. They can develop up to fifteen centimeters in length with a mass of about one hundred and ten grams. The larvae feed on humus and younger brothers. Adults eat leaves of palm tops, overripe fruit, tree sap.

People learned about the existence of goliath beetles at the end of the eighteenth century. For most collectors, such a beetle is a dream come true.

The heaviest butterflies

Among the butterflies, Boisduval woodworms are considered the heaviest. Their family includes almost eight hundred species. These record-breaking butterflies - gray color. Woodworms live in Australia and are clumsy. Their body is extremely thick. The wingspan varies from nine to twenty-five centimeters.

The largest individuals can weigh thirty grams. It is known that each female lays about twenty thousand small eggs. Later, small caterpillars descend along the cobwebs to the roots of plants, where they feed, continuing to develop.

giant mantis

Praying mantises, like some other insects, have greatly increased in size under the influence of radiation. At the same time, giant insects practically do not differ from their counterparts. standard size. It's about the giant Asian praying mantis. Its habitat is the tropics South-East Asia. They can be seen in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand. These diurnal insects live in the foliage of shrubs and trees.

The length of an adult is from eight to nine centimeters, and the females are always larger. Throughout life, the color changes and can be almost white, and red-brown, and even black. The Asian giant praying mantis is very aggressive. Throughout life in captivity, the insect should be kept separately. The female reaches maturity after seven molts. Three weeks after the last, an edema is deposited by it, from which sixty to eighty nymphs appear in a month.

The world's largest grasshopper Ueta

Grasshoppers are mostly predators, but almost all of them are small in size. Among them, the grasshopper Ueta is recognized as a giant. Usually the length of an individual is from eight and a half to nine centimeters with a weight of about seventy grams. But this weight is more than the weight of a standard sparrow. Weta are among the heaviest insects. Their habitat is New Zealand. Weta have no wings, they protect themselves from predators with spiked limbs.

Giant grasshoppers ended up in New Zealand before it became an isolated archipelago. Since Uet had no main enemies, they took the place of small mammals. Huge grasshoppers feed on lichens, fruits, leaves and flowers and are nocturnal.

But the largest ant in the world grows up to 2.5 cm ...
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Although the vast majority of mosquitoes, spiders, flies and beetles are very small, there are real giants among them. They invariably arouse great interest, so the top of the largest insects in the world presented below will help you better understand who is who in the world of these unusual creatures that live next to us.

10th place

The length of the body is 10 cm and the weight is up to 70 g. These are the parameters that the giant ueta has, or, as it is called in Latin, Deinacrida heteracantha. These beetles live in New Zealand. They are rightfully considered one of the heaviest in the world, since some individuals have a body weight greater than that of a well-known sparrow. It is interesting that the reason for the "excess weight", and if without jokes, then the gigantism of this superbug, is the absence of small mammals in its island habitat. Thus, having no enemies and at the same time not lacking food, giant ueta over the course of millions of years, as a result of natural selection, could become real heavyweights, and therefore occupy the last, but honorable place in the top 10 largest insects in the world.

9th place

The title of "the largest insect in the world" is also claimed by the giant stag beetle. Some individuals of this species living in North America, reach a length of 4.5-8 cm. They also have European and Asian relatives, but they are much smaller and do not cause such surprise as Yankee beetles.

Scientists say that it's all about the nutrition of the larvae, so small individuals appear in "hungry" years, when there is little rain, and it is difficult for the female to find rotting wood rich in nutritious fiber for laying eggs. As for the record holders, the largest copy is today kept in the British Museum - its size is 8.7 cm.

8th place

Many believe that the largest insect in the world is the goliath beetle. The body length of males of this species usually ranges from 8 to 11 cm and weighs about 47 g. There are eyewitness accounts that even caught goliath beetles weighing about 100 g a few decades ago. These insects live in central and southeastern regions Africa. Except heavy weight, they are distinguished by their exquisite black and white color, which allows us to add to the title "the largest insect in the world" (by body weight) also the title of one of the most beautiful representatives of the arthropod family.

7th place (I)

Some of the largest insects in the world, whose photos are of constant interest, became extinct many centuries ago, and we can only guess what they really looked like. Until recently, it was believed that the giant stick insect, which was originally found on Lord Howe Island, should also be included in their number. Before the arrival of Europeans, this insect multiplied in huge quantities, as it had no enemies in the wild. The situation changed when black rats settled on Lord Howe, who escaped from the holds of English ships that landed on the island in order to stock up fresh water and provision. In just a few years, they destroyed the entire population, and no one heard of the giant stick insect for almost 2 centuries.

Fortunately, it turned out that this insect (120 mm long and 15 mm thick) survived on Balls Pyramid Island, located a few kilometers from Lord Howe, off the coast of Australia. In total, about 30 adults of the giant stick insect were found, which appearance easily confused with a dry grass stalk

7th place (II)

It cannot be argued that the leaf-bearer is the largest insect in the world, but it can be safely considered the most well-camouflaged. Just look at his photo to be amazed at how much his female resembles several green leaves lying on top of each other. The amazing possibilities of this insect do not end there, since it is able to reproduce parthenogenetically, that is, without the participation of a male.

The body length of the leafworm is no more than 12.5 cm, so we can assume that it deservedly shares the 7th place in the list called "The largest insect in the world" with a giant stick insect.

6th place

In the sixth position in the ranking of the largest insects on the planet is Queen Alexandra Bird's Wing. Under such a magnificent name, more like the title of an august person, there is a giant butterfly with a very beautiful color. To ensure the survival of offspring, this largest insect in the world (36 cm - such is its wingspan) among its subclass has successfully mastered a unique way of self-defense: it feeds on pollen poisonous plant Aristolochia schlecteri. Due to this circumstance, the Queen's caterpillars are poisonous and do not fall prey to birds.

5th place

If you are interested in what is the largest insect in the world, Natgeo has a lot of interesting information. However, let us return to our rating, the fifth position of which is confidently occupied by the dung beetle. The length of its body can reach 7 cm. In total, 500 varieties of this insect are known with brown, black, yellowish and purple colors. The dung beetle is not only a large, but also an exceptionally industrious and strong insect. With a small weight, which is only 2 g, this tireless worker can move a ball of dung weighing 35-40 g.

4th place

Some giant water bugs reach a length of 15 cm. They live in fresh water in South America, as well as in the tropics of the Asian continent. An interesting feature of these insects is that their hind legs are designed for swimming and are a kind of flippers. In addition, they are known as fierce predators and successfully prey on fry, salamanders, tadpoles and even frogs. The main weapon of these insects is their saliva, which can completely paralyze even a fairly large victim and turn its internal organs into a jelly-like, easily digestible mass.

3rd place

The peacock-eye butterfly is one of the top three in the nomination "The largest insect in the world." It has a wingspan of up to 26 cm, which is somewhat inferior to the aforementioned Queen Alexandra. However, the wings of this insect are somewhat larger and longer. In addition, it has an exceptionally beautiful color. By the way, some varieties of peacock-eye in the process of turning from a caterpillar into a butterfly form cocoons used to produce natural silk.

The habitat of this insect is the tropics and subtropics of Asia and America. As for moderate climatic zones, then 10 species of peacock-eye butterflies can be found in Europe, and 12-15 in our country.

2nd place

Chan's Megastick is recognized as one of the largest insects on the planet. The length of his body, which can easily be confused with a dry branch, can reach 37 cm. Even more impressive figures are obtained if we also take into account the size of his paws. In particular, with outstretched limbs, the mega-stick has a length of up to 56 cm. The local habitat of these insects is the island of Kalimantan, where they are very difficult to find, and all thanks to their exceptional camouflage abilities.

On the this moment Only 3 specimens have been found. All of them were caught in the state of Sabah (Malaysia). At the same time, neither their way of life, nor the features of reproduction have yet been studied.

First place

So, it remains to find out which insect is the largest in the world. Scientists claim that it is a woodcutter-titan. The body length of this beetle, which lives in South America, is 21 cm. It is also considered the most expensive of insects, since collectors agree to purchase the largest specimens at a crazy price of 600 to 1000 dollars and even more. For comparison, we can give an example: most of even the rarest species of beetles and butterflies cost between $20-300.

The woodcutter-titanium is also included in the famous Guinness Book of Records, and one of the largest representatives of the species is exhibited in the National Museum of Bolivia and is the pride of its natural science collection.

Interestingly, these insects have quite short life, which is only 20-35 days. Moreover, all this time they do not eat anything, maintaining their strength from the energy reserves made by the body at the larval stage, which lasts about two years. Thus, the entire life cycle of a titanium lumberjack is 24-25 months and ends immediately after the laying of eggs by the female, from which the next generation should appear.

Now you know which "spider bugs" belong to the category "The largest insects in the world." Photos of these representatives of the animal world amaze the imagination and make one once again admire the creations of mother nature, capable of creating such perfect creatures that can survive in any conditions.

Among all living creatures that exist on Earth, insects are one of the most numerous classes. The number of their varieties reaches 1,000,000,000. People are still very lucky that these tiny but numerous creatures for the most part live in peace with them.

After all, even giant spiders and cockroaches from Hollywood horror films can become a real nightmare for all mankind. But among insects there are quite large varieties. In this material, we will introduce you to the largest representatives of this class.

The largest butterfly on Earth is the Queen Alexandra ornithoptera, which belongs to the family called Sailboats. The size of the wingspan of this giant is 28 cm.

This variety was described at the beginning of the last century by A. Meek. The name of the butterfly was given by the banker W. Rothschild in honor of the wife of the British king, Alexandra.

The largest insect in the world can only be seen in the tropics of Papua New Guinea near the town of Popondetta. The eruption of a volcano called Lamington that occurred in the middle of the last century led to the destruction of more than 250 km2 of the habitat of this species of butterflies, which became main reason their extremely rare distribution. In addition, due to the decline in the population of these insects due to the destruction of forests, they were listed as animals that cannot be caught for sale.

Ornithopter males are smaller than females. With a weight of 12 g, an abdomen length of 8 cm, the wingspan of females is 28 centimeters. The belly and wings are dark brown in color with an ornament of yellow and cream shades. Males are very different from females. Their dimensions are no more than 20 centimeters. They have narrow wings of green and blue hues. The main diet of their diet is the leaves of a plant called aristolochia.

Peacock-eyed Atlas is one of the largest butterflies on Earth. Its wingspan is 25 cm. Its name is associated with the character of ancient Greek myths Atlas, who held the sky on his powerful shoulders. These giant butterflies live in Indonesian, Chinese, Thai subtropical and tropical forests. They live only 10 days. Moreover, during this time, the butterflies do not eat anything, since they do not have a mouth apparatus. They live thanks to the substances that they received as caterpillars. Due to the hunt organized by man, the number of this variety of butterflies has greatly decreased.

The titan lumberjack is the largest beetle on our planet. Its body length can be 22 centimeters. So says the famous entomologist Martins, who managed to catch an adult beetle just 22 centimeters long. In museums, specimens of the beetle are 17 centimeters or more. However, you must agree that such dimensions cannot but impress.

But such large sizes only some individuals may have. The average length of this bug does not exceed 13 centimeters. This giant can be found in the states South America. Some businessmen in the summer and winter periods arrange special tours to South America to capture this giant.

The mass of the beetle is 25 g, it may have a dark brown or reddish-brown color. Females are noticeably larger than males and have a different structure. Lumberjacks adhere to a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day they hide in hollow trees or rotten stumps. Moreover, the most susceptible to the effects of light are males, who rarely fell into the light traps created by entomologists.

This representative of giant insects has a very impressive size. The body length of some individuals of this species reaches 15 cm. This is a nocturnal predator. He lives in China. Popularity and love from farmers to the praying mantis brought his ability to destroy all kinds of pests. The Chinese praying mantis feeds on locusts and flies. Large adults can also eat small birds. As a rule, during the breeding process, females eat males. The Chinese keep praying mantises as pets. They very quickly get used to the person and without fear take food from his hands. At home, insects do not show aggression, they are extremely calm.

The tree lobster is also called the giant stick insect. This is one of the largest insects on our planet. There are very few left in the world today. For a long time, the giant stick insect was considered a completely extinct species, until several of these insects were found on one small Australian island. Scientists have managed to increase their population. Despite the lack of wings, the tree lobster is able to move quickly. The reproduction process of this species has its own unique features. To reproduce offspring, the giant stick insect does not need a male. During the laying of eggs, the female herself creates her own clone.

The largest freshwater insects are giant water bugs, which belong to the Hemiptera. This family is divided into two main types: carnivorous and herbivorous. Their body length is 10 cm. They feed by introducing special, irritating substances into the bodies of victims. The victims of these insects are mainly small snakes, turtles. However, giant water bugs also often bite people. The sensation from the bite of this giant insect on the Schmidt scale, according to which they measure pain and strength, reaches 4 points - the highest score on the scale. For comparison: a wasp sting does not exceed 2 points. In addition, the bite can cause permanent damage to the muscles.

These beetles are the heaviest beetles on our planet. Their weight reaches 100 grams, which corresponds to the weight of 5 sparrows! In addition, they are quite strong and quite difficult to handle.

The length of females is 80 mm, and males - 110 millimeters. The width of the belly of females is 5 cm, and that of males is 6 centimeters. In addition to size, males also have external differences from females: they have a Y-shaped horn on their head, females do not have such a process, but they have a shield with which they dig holes to lay eggs.

The color of goliath beetles depends on their habitat. To be active, they need to maintain a certain level of body temperature, which is why in shady places many beetles have a dark color with barely noticeable white stripes. Due to this coloring, their body heats up rapidly.

These wonderful creatures can be seen in the equatorial and southeastern parts of Africa. Due to the nature of their adaptation to South Africa light color prevails, and in the Central - dark. In total, there are up to six varieties of goliaths, each with its own unique color scheme.

Goliaths spend most of their lives in the crowns of trees. There they feed on tree sap, all kinds of overripe fruits. Ini love to feast on flower pollen. These beetles rarely descend to the ground. In the wild, goliath beetles live only 6 months.

Despite the fact that insects are considered one of the smallest inhabitants of our planet, among them there are some really large specimens that can give odds in size even to some vertebrates. Many people are interested to know what are the largest insects in the world. In our article, we have compiled the top largest representatives of this class of invertebrates. Do not be surprised that you will not meet spiders in it, because, oddly enough, spiders, for all their outward similarity, do not belong to insects, representing a separate class to which we will devote a special article. So, let's get started and rather answer the question - what is the largest insect in the world exists.

10. Giant Hornet / Vespa mandarinia

Our top 10 largest insects in the world opens with the Giant Hornet, which lives mainly in Asian countries, but it can also be found in Russia in the Primorsky Territory. This hornet reaches a length of about 5 cm, its poison is very toxic and dangerous for people who are allergic to such bites. Throughout history, many deaths have been recorded from the bites of these dangerous insects. Another notable fact is that the Giant Hornet can pursue its target up to 5 km, so it is better not to anger these representatives of the fauna.

9. Rhinoceros Cockroach / Macropanesthia rhinoceros

In ninth place is the heaviest and largest cockroach in the world - the Rhinoceros Cockroach. Its length reaches 8 centimeters, and its weight often exceeds 30 grams. This brown giant lives in the forests of Australia. Where he digs himself long underground tunnels, hence his second name Giant burrowing cockroach. Surprisingly, this insect is very popular with people who often get them as a pet.

8. Giant Weta / Deinacrida heteracantha

Eighth on our list is the Giant Weta, whose females can reach 9 cm in length and often weigh over 70 grams. The hind legs of this insect are covered with many spikes (this is clearly visible in the photo), with the help of which Ueta defends himself from enemies by a kind of kicking. These giant "grasshoppers" live in New Zealand.

7. Giant water bug / Belostomatidae

Continues our top of the largest insects Giant water bug. If you think that bedbugs live only on land, you are deeply mistaken. This largest representative of this order of insects lives in water and reaches a size of about 15 cm. Needless to say, the bite of such a giant is very painful, their prey is mainly small fish and frogs. Another notable fact is that female water bugs lay their eggs right on the back of the male. For about 10 days, he wears them on himself, after which new offspring hatch. Surprisingly, many Asian countries consider this insect a delicacy and willingly eat it.

6. Hercules beetle / Dynastes hercules

Next on our list is walking or crawling :) Hercules beetle. The size of this giant beetle reaches 18 cm. These insects inhabit the forests of South and Central America, as well as the countries of the Caribbean. The male of this representative of the fauna can be easily distinguished by the “branded” long horn, the females have no horns at all. This beetle earned its nickname by the fact that it can carry objects hundreds of times its own weight.

5. Titan Woodcutter / Titanus giganteus

In fifth place, we again have a representative of beetles - the woodcutter-titan. It is considered the largest beetle on our planet. The woodcutter-titanium, according to various sources, reaches a size of 22 cm. This insect has very powerful jaws, with the help of which it breaks the wood in which it likes to hide in the daytime. To bite a regular pencil for him - just spit. You can meet these giants in the tropical forests of South America. A remarkable fact is that a dried specimen of this insect reaches a price of about $ 1,000 from collectors.

4. Peacock-eye Atlas / Attacus atlas

Our top of the most giant insects in the world continues with the Peacock-eyed Atlas butterfly. Its wingspan reaches 25 cm. This insect got its name in honor of the ancient Greek titan Atlas, who held the sky on his shoulders. A remarkable fact is that this butterfly lives only 2 weeks and does not eat anything at all, I use the stock nutrients obtained at the stage of its stay in the form of a caterpillar. Atlas peacock-eye can be found in the countries of Southeast Asia.

3. Giant Scolopendra / Scolopendra gigantea

Opens the top three of our list Giant scolopendra - the largest centipede alive today. This insect can reach a length of about 27 cm. The legs of the Giant centipede end in poisonous claws, which it plunges into its prey. This aggressive insect preys on lizards, rodents and even small birds. It is noteworthy that this representative of the fauna has poor eyesight and focuses on special receptors that are sensitive to chemicals.

2. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing / Ornithoptera alexandrae

In second place is again a butterfly - Queen Alexandra's Birdwing. Its wingspan reaches 28 cm. It is considered the largest butterfly in the world. The Queen Alexandra Birdwing is named after Queen Alexandra of Great Britain, who lived in the 19th and 20th centuries. The habitat of this beautiful butterfly is limited to New Zealand and only to places where you can find chircas plants, on which it feeds and in which it lays eggs.

1. Chan's Megastick / Phobaeticus chani

And finally, we answer the question - what is the largest insect in the world. This is Chan's Mega Stick. The record length of this amazing insect was recorded in 1989 and amounted to 57 cm. Chan's Megastick is a natural master of disguise, it is almost impossible to distinguish it from a tree branch. This is probably why only 3 specimens of this amazing creature were found, and all in Malaysia.

It's time to meet the largest, longest and heaviest insects on Earth. Naturally, the largest species lived in the prehistoric era, but even in modern world there are still incredible bugs that will give anyone goosebumps. From the creepy giant weta to the more famous praying mantis, here is a list of the 25 largest insects in the world.

25. Protodonata or Meganisoptera

Meganisoptera is not only the largest dragonfly that has ever existed on our planet, but also the largest insect in the world. With a wingspan of up to 75 centimeters, this giant insect soared through the skies from the Carboniferous to the end of the Permian era (approximately 317 to 247 million years ago). Meganisoptera lived long before the appearance of pterosaurs, birds and bats, which means that it had no equal in the sky.

24. Giant ueta

Photo: Dinobass

The giant ueta (weta) is a very large species of insect living mainly in New Zealand. An adult beetle can weigh 35 grams. Ueta prefers to hide in fallen leaves and bark of fallen trees, and rests mainly during the day. At night, the heavyweight leaves its shelter to move into other trees in search of food and more comfortable housing. Despite its impressive size, the giant ueta only lives for 6-9 months.

23. Lumberjack Titan

Photo: Bernard Dupont

Endemic to the rainforests of South America, the titan lumberjack is the largest known beetle not only in the Amazon jungle, but also one of the most large species insects in the world. The titan grows up to 16.7 centimeters in length (according to unconfirmed reports - up to 22 centimeters), and the hallmark of this giant insect is its impressive claws, with which it can easily grab a pencil, for example. There are rumors that the Titan woodcutter can even tear through human flesh with his tongs. The most interesting thing is that entomologists have not yet been able to detect its larvae, and so far naturalists can only assume that the beetle spends the beginning of its life inside trees.

22. Australian walking cane

Photo: Rosa Pineda

The Australian cane (Extatosoma tiaratum) is a huge herbivore that lives in the tropical and temperate rainforests of Australia. These creatures are very similar to praying mantises, but entomologists distinguish them as two absolutely different types. Females are usually larger than males, they reach up to 20 centimeters in length and are covered with prickly spines. In turn, males also have something to brag about - they have as many as 3 eyes, and they can fly, unlike females, who have only the rudiments of wings.

21. Moth atlas

Photo: Quartl

This giant moth lives in tropical and subtropical forests Southeast Asia, and is considered one of the largest species of Lepidoptera insects on the planet. The tropical moth has a wingspan of 25 centimeters, and the surface area of ​​​​the wings of the atlas is 400 square centimeters, which is more than any other insect in the world. At the same time, her life expectancy is only 5-7 days. This short-lived beauty, people have found quite a practical application - in India, a giant moth is bred for the production of silk thread.

20. Rhinoceros cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)

Photo: Mark Pellegrini (Raul654)

The giant rhinoceros cockroach (also known as the burrowing cockroach) lives in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia and is the largest and heaviest cockroach in the world. An adult representative of this species grows up to 8 centimeters in length and can weigh up to 35 grams. The life expectancy of a burrowing cockroach is quite impressive - scientists have found individuals whose age reached as much as 10 years. You may be surprised, but among amateur entomologists, the giant rhinoceros cockroach is quite popular as a ... pet.

19. Elephant beetle

Photo: sdbeazley / flickr

This insect prefers the humidity of tropical forests and lowlands of Central and South America (especially Mexico). The elephant beetle (or megasoma elephant) is a large insect that grows up to as much as 13 centimeters in length. Impressive in size, these creatures live only 1-3 months, prefer night time, feed on tree sap and tropical fruits.

18. Phobaeticus chani

Photo: P.E. Bragg

Phobaeticus chani is one of the longest insect species in the world. Its more common name is Chan's stick insect, which this insect received in honor of its explorer Datuk Chen Zhaolun (Datuk Chen Zhaolun). A giant stick insect was discovered not so long ago in a tropical forest in Borneo (Borneo), where a Chinese naturalist happened to examine an individual of incredible length - 57 centimeters! The beetle variety Phobaeticus chani is still not fully understood, because the insect lives on the highest trees of the rainforest, which makes it too secretive for observation and research.

17. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Photo: Robert Nash

This amazingly beautiful creature was discovered in the rainforests of the province of Oro (Oro) in the east of Papua New Guinea. Another name for this bird wing is also known - Queen Alexandra's ornithopter, and it is recognized as the largest butterfly in the world. The wingspan of this giant creature reaches 30.5 centimeters, and it feeds mainly on the nectar of tropical flowers.

16. Giant water bug

Photo: Frank Vassen

The giant water bug (Belostomatidae) is also known as the "alligator flea", and it lives mainly in freshwater reservoirs, lakes, streams and rivers of North and South America, Northern Australia and East Asia. Water bugs are fierce predators, and cases of attacks of these bugs are known not only on fish and frogs, but also on small snakes and even turtles. Killer beetle? It sounds scary, but there is another no less predatory insect ahead of you. Be patient until the 11th point of our top ...

15. Giant Atlas Beetle

Photo: JohnSka

The Atlas beetle (Chalcosoma atlas) got its name in honor of the ancient mythical deity who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Another name for this beetle is the Caucasian beetle, and representatives of this species are considered one of the largest beetles on Earth. Atlas is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia. Atlas males can reach as much as 13 centimeters in length.

14. Saint Helena earwig

Photo: wikimedia

In front of you is the giant earwig Labidura herculeana, the largest member of the leathery-winged order, which is sometimes called the “Dodo of the earwig world” (Dodo is a giant bird, died out in the 17th century AD) or the St. Helena earwig. History knows about the 8-cm Labidura herculeana, but the last time a living adult of this earwig was seen was already in May 1967, and in 2014 scientists regretfully announced that the Dodo of the world of earwigs had finally died out.

13. Goliath beetle

Photo: fir0002

Endemic to tropical regions of Africa, goliath beetles are the largest insects in the world, both as adults and as larvae. It is believed that these beetles are the heaviest of all insects on Earth. Their larvae weigh up to 100 grams, and adults reach up to 12 centimeters in length.

12. Mustaches or lumberjacks

Photo: Hectonichus

The longhorn beetle in the photo is a giant beetle species easily recognizable by its beautiful pattern on the back and enlarged jaws. There are other names for this insect - barbel, woodcutter or scientifically Cerambycidae. The long-horned beetle lives in the tropical forests of South America, and despite its huge size (more than 17 centimeters in length), this species of insect can even fly.

11. Bird-eating hawk

Photo: wikimedia

The tarantula hawk is a large road wasp or pompilid that preys on tarantulas. The females of this species of insect paralyze the spider with a prick of their sting. On a successful hunt, these seemingly modest creatures are able to overcome a tarantula, which is most often 8 times heavier than a road wasp. This difference in weight does not prevent dragging the slain spider into the hole, where the female lays her larvae directly on the body of the prey. When new tarantula hawks are born, they initially feed on tarantulas stored in the hole.

10 Giant Wasp

Photo: Didier Descouens

9. Gauromydas heroes

Photo: Biologoandre

Gauromydas heros are the largest flies in the world. In length, this species of dipterous insect grows up to 7 centimeters, and its wingspan reaches 10 centimeters, which is quite a lot for a fly. Gauromydas heros lives in southern Brazil and prefers to lay its larvae in anthills. Scientists have not fully understood the species' lifestyle, but adult males presumably feed on flower nectar, females probably do not, and the larvae of these flies eat the larvae of leaf cutter ants, in whose colonies they hide.

8. Macrotermes Bellicosus

Photo: ETF89

This termite lives in Africa and Southeast Asia. Macrotermes Bellicosus is the largest known member of its infraorder. This insect got into our list due to the fact that its uterus during the laying period reaches approximately 11 centimeters in length. The sizes of other members of the colony are much more modest - termite workers grow up to 3-4 centimeters, and soldiers are not much larger. Macrotermes Bellicosus live by hunting and gathering, and the peak of activity of this species of termites is observed during the rainy season.

7. Hercules beetle

Photo: Anaxibia

The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) is one of the largest beetles in the world, and it lives mainly in the jungles of South America. Representatives of this genus are considered the largest and most famous of all rhinoceros beetles, close relatives of scarabs. Some males reach 17.5 centimeters, including the length of the monohorn.

6. Thysania agrippina

Photo: Acrocynus

Thysania agrippina is a night moth, better known by other names, including agrippa cutworm, agrippina cutworm, agrippina's thysania, agrippa, night moth, and even ghost moth. Agrippina scoop is one of the largest flying insects, and its wingspan reaches almost 30 centimeters. The largest night moth lives in Mexico, Central America and South America, and is also sometimes found in Texas (Texas).

5 Stag Beetle (Lucanidae)

Photo: Trevor Harris / geograph.org.uk

The stag beetle or stag beetle, also sometimes known as the comb beetle, is an insect that is easy to recognize due to its huge size (about 12 centimeters in length) and imposing mandibles (lower jaws) resembling tusks or horns. In appearance, the beetle looks very intimidating, but in fact it feeds on tree sap, and uses its lower jaws only in mating games or during fights with its own relatives. For humans, this insect is usually completely harmless.

4. Giant winged dragonfly

Photo: Steven G. Johnson

The largest dragonfly living on our planet, the giant damselfly is also known in the scientific world as Megaloprepus Caerulatus. The graceful insect is decorated with silver-blue stripes, as well as white and black spots. But don't be fooled by its beauty, this dragonfly is a dangerous predator. True, Megaloprepus Caerulatus poses the greatest threat only to spiders, which the equalwing catches directly from their cozy nets. The giant dragonfly lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America, and the largest wingspan of these insects is as much as 19 centimeters!

3. Mantis

Photo: Oliver Koemmerling

This insect is almost at the top of its food chain and feeds mainly on other members of its native class, although there is evidence that praying mantises sometimes attack small reptiles, small mammals and even birds! The largest mantis known to entomologists was discovered in southern China in 1929, and its length was as much as 18 centimeters.

2. Stick Man Zhao

Photo: Joachim Bresseel, Jerome Constant

In 2014, in the southern province of Guangxi (Guangxi) was discovered the new kind insect. They became the stick insect Zhao (Phryganistria Chinensis Zhao), whose dimensions reached as much as 62.4 centimeters. The giant was discovered by the Chinese entomologist Zhao Li, and today it is the longest insect in the world. The stick insect was named after a Chinese explorer who hunted this incredible fastmatid for 6 years until he finally managed to catch one of these long-legged beauties.

1. Mosquito centipedes of the species Holorusia Brobdignagius

Photo: wikimedia

Long-legged mosquitoes or caramora are insects of the Diptera family of the long-legged suborder. Their favorite habitat is forests near fresh water bodies and swamps. Adults feed on plant nectar, while larvae feed on decaying plants. The largest of the caramors, holorusia brobdignagius grows up to 23 centimeters in length if the limbs are extended behind and in front of its body. This value allows us to consider this Chinese centipede the longest of its kind.

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