For residents of central Russia, accustomed to the miniature size of insects, it may be a discovery that there are quite dimensional individuals of buzzing and fluttering creatures that can scare anyone not only with their size, but also with a terrifying look. We decided to devote this article to the largest insects on the planet, or rather to the ten largest representatives of the class of invertebrate arthropods.
Giant wasp
The last place on our list of the largest insects on the planet is awarded 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. A predatory wasp has a serious sting: up to 7 mm. It is to them that she pierces the flesh of the tarantula spider, which is its main enemy and prey. It is worth noting that the wasp does not eat spiders, but simply paralyzes them, while it itself prefers flower nectar and pollen. However, her actions with respect to the tarantula are quite justified: after the wound has been inflicted, the tarantula hawk injects poison that paralyzes the victim, and then a huge wasp lays eggs in the victim’s body. From them, larvae develop 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
In the penultimate place on the list of the largest insects in the world is 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 the true heavyweights of the winged-wing squad. By the way, sometimes the giant veta is also called Ueta, which is one and the same in essence. They live in New Zealand. The isolation of this protected area and its distance from other continents allowed grasshoppers to escape natural enemies and also to remain unchanged for many millions of years. Unfortunately, the settled Europeans began to hunt for these amazing creatures because of their incredible size for study. In the hands of researchers more than once came across individuals that are much heavier than mice and sparrows.
Burrowing Cockroach
A huge representative of the insect world - a resident of Australia - a rhinoceros cockroach. It feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. The largest insect among the truly impressive in size representatives of the order of invertebrates reaches 9 cm in length. Its feature is the constant desire to dig the land in the hope of building a reliable hole for itself. By the way, they prefer to live such cockroaches in deep burrows, reaching a meter deep. It is noteworthy that the rhinoceros cockroach is more like a bug: its body lacks wings, but powerful thick spikes are located on its front legs. Adults are mostly burgundy. Often such a cockroach is called burrowing.
Palm-sized beetle
Goliath beetle reaches 11 cm in length. It weighs 100 grams. This will seem incredible to many, but one sparrow weighs about 20 grams. Goliaths are disguised as the environment in which they live. And 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 cause disgust even among the most fearful people, on the contrary, the giant inspires respect.
Flipping bug
The giant water bug is a serious predator that attacks even adult frogs. Such a pest is called gladysh 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 smoothies perfectly copes with such a misfortune: it flips onto its back and moves silently on the surface of water bodies. Bed bugs live everywhere, because their population is growing rapidly, and they are forced to explore more and more new spaces for life. Water bugs are quite large: they can grow up to 15 cm from babies up to 3 mm. A distinctive feature is the ability to swim and fly. It feeds by injecting poison into its prey, which dilutes its insides. For humans, 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.
Giant representative of the chopsticks
The middle position of the rating is rightfully occupied by a tree lobster. Otherwise, this insect is called a giant stick insect. His body is 12 cm long. It has only recently been confirmed that the species has not died out. Scientists propagated several individuals that they managed to find. The fact is surprising: females can successfully breed without males. They simply create their clones by laying eggs.
Mantis
Among the largest insects, photos of which can be seen in the article, the 4th place is occupied by the Chinese mantis. Its dimensions are truly amazing - 15 cm of live length. By the way, Chinese 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 to a person, while in nature it is considered an aggressive predator. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle and is able to live in comfortable conditions for 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 for food. The coloration of the giant is often green, but sometimes it can acquire a brown tint.
Bronze and silver medalist
An honorable 3rd place in the ranking of the 10 largest insects on the planet is occupied by the woodcutter-titan beetle. Its length is 22 cm. If you take an insect in the palm of your hand, then it will occupy almost the entire free space of the adult's hand. Collectors arrange tours to Amazonia (an insect habitat) to catch an amazing creature for their entomological sets. Despite the fact that the bug lives only 3-5 weeks, it does not eat at all. Nature has decreed that the accumulated fat deposits obtained by the insect during the development of the larva are enough for the bug for the entire period of its short life. The jaws of a lumberjack-titanium are able to bite a branch with a diameter of a centimeter. By the way, the price of a dried copy of a huge beetle among experts and collectors can even go 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. The photos of this butterfly amaze the imagination, not to mention how it feels to see it in reality. The wingspan of powerful wings reaches 24 cm. The life cycle is only 10 days. Like the woodcutter-titanium, the atlas lives off of the nutrients accumulated during the time it was a caterpillar. The color of the huge insect is dominated by brown. For living, he selects places on the planet with a tropical or subtropical climate: southeast Asia, Thailand, Indonesia, southern China, Kalimantan, Java.
