For residents of central Russia, who are accustomed to the miniature size of insects, it may be a discovery that there are quite large individuals of buzzing and fluttering creatures that can frighten anyone not only with their size, but also with their frightening appearance. We decided to dedicate this article to the largest insects on the planet, or rather the ten largest representatives of the class of invertebrate arthropods.
Giant wasp
Last on our list of the world's largest insects goes to the tarantula hawk. This is one of the varieties of wasps. The body length of the insect reaches 5 cm, and sometimes a little more. The predatory wasp has a serious sting: up to 7 mm. It is with them that she pierces the flesh of the tarantula spider, which is her main enemy and prey. It is worth noting that the wasp does not eat spiders, but simply paralyzes them, while she herself prefers the nectar of flowers and pollen. However, heractions in relation to the tarantula are quite justified: after inflicting a wound, the tarantula hawk injects poison that paralyzes the victim, and then a huge wasp lays eggs in the body of the victim. They develop into larvae that feed on the flesh of the tarantula. By the way, such wasps live in North America, Mexico, Peru, the Caribbean, French Guiana and have up to 15 different species. A characteristic feature of the individual is its bright color: black with bright orange wings.
A grasshopper is heavier than a sparrow
On the penultimate place of the list of the largest insects in the world is to put the grasshopper veta. This creature can be up to 9 cm long and weigh 85 grams. Such grasshoppers, of which there are more than 100 different species, can be considered real heavyweights of the order of orthoptera. By the way, sometimes giant weta are also called Ueta, which is the same in essence. They live in New Zealand. The isolation of this protected area and the distance of its location from other continents allowed grasshoppers to avoid natural enemies, and also remain unchanged for many millions of years. Unfortunately, the settled Europeans began to hunt these amazing creatures because of their incredible size for study purposes. More than once, researchers have come across individuals that are much heavier than a mouse and a sparrow.
Cockroach digging holes
A huge representative of the world of insects - a resident of Australia - a rhinoceros cockroach. It feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. The largest insect among the truly impressive representatives of the order of invertebrates reaches 9 cm in length. Its feature is the constant desire to dig up the ground in the hope of building a reliable hole for itself. By the way, such cockroaches prefer to live in deep burrows reaching a meter depth. It is noteworthy that the rhinoceros cockroach looks more like a beetle: there are no wings on its body, but powerful thick spikes are located on its front legs. Adults are predominantly burgundy in color. Often such a cockroach is called burrowing.
Palm-sized beetle
Goliath beetle reaches 11 cm in length. It also weighs 100 grams. It will seem incredible to many, but one sparrow weighs about 20 grams. Goliaths disguise themselves as the environment in which they live. And in order to take off, the beetle is forced to heat its body to a temperature that allows it to rise into the air. By the way, this insect does not disgust even the most fearful people, on the contrary, the giant inspires respect.
Flipping Bedbug
The giant water bug is a serious predator that even attacks adult frogs. Such a pest is called smooth because of its streamlined shape. However, on his back there are many small balls that should have prevented him from moving through the water. But smoothness perfectly copes with such a misfortune: it rolls over on its back andalmost silently moves on the surface of water bodies. Bedbugs live everywhere, because their population is growing rapidly, and they are forced to develop more and more new spaces for life. Water bugs are quite large: from 3 mm babies they can grow up to 15 cm. A distinctive feature is the ability to swim and fly. It feeds by injecting poison into its prey, which liquefies its insides. For a person, such a bug is not dangerous, but the bite of one of the largest insects in the world is unlikely to bring pleasure even to an extreme person.
Giant representative of stick insects
The tree lobster rightfully occupies the middle position of the rating. Otherwise, this insect is called a giant stick insect. Its body length is 12 cm. It has only recently been confirmed that the species is not extinct. Scientists have multiplied several individuals that have been found. Surprising is the fact that females can successfully breed without males. They simply create clones of themselves by laying eggs.
Mantis
Among the largest insects, photos of which can be seen in the article, the Chinese praying mantis takes the 4th place. Its dimensions are truly amazing - 15 cm in live length. By the way, Chinese praying mantises are considered beneficial insects, because they destroy locusts. Currently, not only in China, but also in other countries, this insect is a pet. It gets used to people, does not show aggression towards a person, while in nature it is considered an aggressive predator. Leads the night imagelife and is able to live in comfortable conditions up to 6 months. Interestingly, females after mating kill males, which are much smaller. Females are able to hunt frogs and even small birds, but weak males choose insects as food. The color of the giant is often green, but sometimes it can turn brown.
Bronze and Silver medalists
Honorary 3rd place in the ranking of the 10 largest insects on the planet is taken by the lumberjack beetle-titanium. Its length is 22 cm. If you take an insect in the palm of your hand, it will occupy almost all the free space of an adult's hand. Collectors arrange tours to the Amazon (insect habitat) to capture an amazing creature for their entomological kits. Despite the fact that the beetle lives only 3–5 weeks, it does not feed at all. Nature ordered that the accumulated fat deposits obtained by the insect in the process of developing the larvae are enough for the beetle for the entire period of its short life. The jaws of a titan lumberjack are capable of biting a branch a centimeter in diameter. By the way, the price of a dried specimen of a huge beetle among experts and collectors can even reach up to $ 1,000 per unit.
The beautiful peacock-eye atlas gets the second place in the list of the largest insects in the world. Photos of this butterfly are amazing, not to mention what it is like to see it in reality. The span of powerful wings reaches 24 cm. The life cycle is only 10 days. Like the woodcutter-titan,atlas lives off the nutrients accumulated during the time when she was a caterpillar. The color of the huge insect is dominated by brown. For habitation, he chooses places on the planet with a tropical or subtropical climate: southeast Asia, Thailand, Indonesia, southern China, Kalimantan, the island of Java.
Leader
The answer to the question of what is the largest insect that lives on planet Earth will be the following: Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly. The wingspan of this miracle of nature can reach 27 centimeters. The beauty lives in the tropics of New Guinea. Unfortunately, the population of these creatures has been greatly reduced. Currently, measures have been taken to protect the insect from attacks by poachers. Hunting for the Queen Alexandra birdwing butterfly is prohibited. Violations are punishable by heavy fines, and sometimes real prison terms. By the way, female birdwings are much larger than males (sexual dimorphism is developed), and also differ from them in color. Females are often brown, while males are bright blue-green. Butterfly wings are unusual: they are rounded at the ends.
Each insect is unique and worth living. To preserve everything that has been created by nature for thousands of years, you need not so much: to keep it clean and hunt living creatures exclusively with a camera.
