I’m a wimp when it comes to bugs. So when an exceptionally large grasshopper made its way onto my blanket recently as I was lounging at the park, I was a little surprised that I didn’t have a panic attack. But this particular grasshopper was beautiful, and his features were so large that it felt like he was actually staring at me, willing me to strike up a conversation with him. Though he eventually hopped away, I couldn’t stop thinking about his gigantic body, so I did some research online to find out if my grasshopper was as big as I thought he was. Turns out, he’s a bit of a pipsqueak compared to some of these giant insects. Though I can appreciate the beauty and grandeur of these insects, I’m thankful that none of them landed on my blanket that day.
Giant Walking Stick
Considered one of the best tropical insects to keep as a pet, the stick insect (Phasmatodea, from the Greek word “phasma,” meaning phantom) disguises itself as varied species of sticks and leaves. The longest in the insect kingdom, it can measure up to almost two feet in length. Many species of female stick insects live alone, reproducing asexually. Stick bugs are vegetarian, but also molt numerous times to eat their own shed skin. When they perceive a threat, they fall to the ground and play dead or dance for hours, swaying back and forth. (Image source: Tajai, cc).
Goliath Beetle
Native to the African rainforest, the Goliath Beetle is one of the largest insects on earth based on its size, weight, and mass. They measure up to five inches in length and can weigh up to four ounces while in their larval stage, before reducing their weight to half as adults. Equipped with an armored shell, adult Goliaths produce a toy helicopter sound once their two pairs of wings emerge and they take flight. Male Goliath beetles have a Y-shaped horn on their heads to battle other males for feeding sites or for females, while females have a wedge-shaped head to assist them in burrowing when they lay eggs. Though they feed on ripe fruit and tree sap in the wild, they enjoy cat and dog food when raised in captivity.
(Image source: Naturalworlds.org).
Atlas Moth
Found only in Southeast Asia, the Atlas Moth is the largest of the moth species with the largest wing surface area—close to sixty-five square inches—and a wingspan of up to a foot long. Named after wing patterns that resemble maps, the moth’s wing tips resemble a snake’s head in order to ward off predators. With no mouth, it feeds off fat reserves built up during its caterpillar stage. Females secrete a pheromone through a gland at the end of the abdomen that males can detect several miles downwind. Adults mate quickly since a total lifespan of a female is only one to two weeks. Females lay their eggs, use up their fat reserves to feed themselves, and then quickly die.
(Image source: Sean Dockery, cc & Lionoche, cc).
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
Named after Queen Alexandra of England, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world. Found in the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea, females are predominately larger than males and have a wingspan of up to fourteen inches. Birdwings feed on the aristolochia plant (Aristolochia schlecteri) to lay their eggs, which contains a poisonous substance that when digested by the caterpillar makes it distasteful to predators. Endangered since 1989, the Birdwing has experienced habitat loss caused by agriculture, logging, and human advancement.
(Image source: Lillet.blonde, cc).
