Everything in the world is relative, and the largest insects have learned so well to adapt to environmental conditions that it is sometimes difficult to notice.
In addition, insects are one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet, and today there are more than 1 million species. But among all the diversity, we consider the largest representatives of the unique and amazing world of insects, which include both the most beautiful butterflies and the terrifying type of beetles.
The largest insects that live on Earth:
12
Giant Veta
Due to the absence of small mammals on the Australian continent, this species of large wingless insects has spread throughout the island.
In the world fauna, the Deinacrida heteracantha species is one of the heaviest insects. The weight of some individuals reaches 72 grams, and the body length is up to 10 centimeters.
Having no natural enemies, with an abundance of food, Veta as a result of evolution and natural selection was able to achieve such truly gigantic sizes among beetles.
By the way, on thebiggest.ru there is a separate article about the biggest bugs in the world.
11
Stag beetle
An unusual stag beetle family grows up to 8 centimeters. Females are significantly smaller than males and do not have an awesome-looking horns.
Deer beetles live almost throughout Eurasia, as well as in North America. But the population of these bugs is constantly declining, and in many countries it is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.
As for the champions, the largest specimen, with a body length of 8.7 centimeters, is on display at the British Museum.
10
Goliath beetle
In the Central and some regions of Southeast Africa, an amazing bug lives, due to its size, called the Goliath.
The length of the males reaches from 80 to 110 millimeters, while they weigh 50 grams, and individual individuals far exceed this figure. The beetle has a unique black and white color, and the black parts of the body have a velvet structure.
Most of the day is spent in flight, in the crowns of tall trees and rarely sank to the ground. Goliaths feed on sap of trees and tropical fruits.
9
Asian hornet
The largest hornet in the world in Taiwan is called the Tiger Bee. The insect, similar in some way to a wasp, grows up to 5 centimeters.
The bite is very painful, and people with allergies to wasp venom should better avoid encountering a huge hornet.
But interestingly, for hunting this species of hornets use not a sting with toxic poison, but massive jaws, gnawing their victims. Eyewitnesses, faced with giant hornets, claim that he can pursue his victim for more than five kilometers.
8
Giant stick
One of the rarest insects on planet Earth, which in the wild is almost impossible to meet, and we can only be content with his photo.
The habitat of large insects, growing up to 12 centimeters, was chosen by two volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean. For a long time it was believed that this species of the stick was extinct, but in the 60s of the last century, climbers found traces of this insect.
In 2001, a special expedition discovered a colony of a giant stickman on the island of Bols-Pyramids.
7
Listotel
It may not be the biggest insect, but the leaf body is the best masked in the wild. Maybe that's why he was attributed to the ghost squad.
The leaf bodies grow to 12.5 centimeters, and the body and paws imitate and are very similar to plant leaves, with the same color and veins. This unique insect lives on the islands of Oceania and Southeast Asia.
Males are capable of autotomy, but females can breed without the participation of a male.
6
Chinese mantis
A representative of the family, true praying mantises grow up to 15 centimeters. The insect, unique in appearance, is inherently a predator, and feeds on other insects.
He leads a nocturnal lifestyle, for a long time remaining motionless, waiting for his victim. When meeting, it’s better not to tease him, because he is characterized by rather aggressive behavior.
In Asian countries, and in Europe, many exotic lovers keep mantis at home as pets.
5
Alexander Birdwing
The full name of the diurnal butterfly from the sailfish family sounds more like a royal title than the name of an insect. Queen Alexandra’s bird wing is by far the largest butterfly by wingspan in the world.
In individual individuals, the wingspan reaches 27 centimeters, but the length of the abdomen is 8 centimeters. Giant butterflies live in the limited area of New Guinea, and Europeans learned about their existence at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Due to a sharp decrease in the number of the surprising insect, the Alexander's birdfly was classified as an animal and its sale is prohibited.
4
Peacock butterfly
Among the flying there is another champion in terms of wingspan. This is a peacock-eye butterfly, the wingspan of which is 26 centimeters. But in Australia, found a female Peacock-eye Hercules with wings, a wingspan of 28 centimeters.
One of the largest butterflies in the world and in the animal world of the Australian continent. Interestingly, about 2,300 species of these butterflies live on earth.
3
Giant legged grasshopper
In some mountainous areas of Malaysia, you can meet an unusual and large grasshopper. Large sizes do not allow them to jump and fly long distances, so they often move on the ground or plants.
This is a herbivore, but sometimes not averse to feasting on other insects. Like most relatives, it easily adapts to the environment, disguising itself as leaves.
2
Chan Megapolder
The record holder for the body length of the mega-stick vat was discovered in 1989 in the forests of Malaysia. With straightened limbs, its length was 56 centimeters.
In total, three large specimens of this amazing insect have been found in history. The lifestyle and habits of the stickman have not yet been fully studied, and due to the magnificent disguise, it is very difficult to meet in natural conditions.
1
Lumberjack titanium
The largest beetle on Earth, growing to 130 millimeters, lives in the forests of the Amazon, although eyewitnesses claim that they saw individuals larger than 20 centimeters.
Today it is the largest insect in the world known to zoologists. The beetle leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and with large sizes it is completely harmless to humans.
The beetle is an adornment of any entomological collection, and for some large specimens collectors are ready to pay from 500 to 1,000 dollars.
Conclusion
Many species of giant insects are endemic, and live in a strictly limited range, several species are listed in the Red Book, and their capture and sale even fall under criminal articles.
As you can see, the largest insects are diverse in both appearance and habits. The long process of evolution has led to a variety of species and subspecies, united in the largest class of animals on planet Earth.
TheBiggest.ru editorial staff kindly asks you to write in the comments your meeting history for any large insects. We think our readers will also be interested in reading about it.
Article author: Valery Skiba