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1. Giant Weta
There are 11 species of Giant Weta, most of which are larger than other weta, despite the latter already being large by insect standards. Large species can be up to 10 cm not inclusive of legs and antennae with body mass usually no more than 35g. One captive female reached a mass of about 70 gm, making it one of the heaviest documented insects in the world and heavier than a sparrow. Giant Weta tend to be less social and more passive than other Weta. They are found primarily on New Zealand offshore islands, having been almost exterminated on the mainland islands by introduced mammalian pests.
2. Stag Beetles
Stag Beetles are a group of about 1,200 species of beetle in the family Lucanidae, presently classified in four subfamilies.Some species grow up to over 12 cm, but most are about 5 cm. Male stag beetles use their jaws to wrestle each other for favorite mating sites in a manner that parallels the way stags fight over females.Fights may also be over food, such as tree sap and decaying fruits. Despite their often fearsome appearance they are not normally aggressive to humans. Female stag beetles are usually smaller than the males, with smaller mandibles. As larvae, females can be distinguished from males by the presence of cream-coloured, fat ovaries visible through the skin around 2/3 down the larva’s back.
3. The Goliath Beetles
The Goliath Beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa’s tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, Goliath beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods such as commercial cat and dog food.Goliath beetles measure from 60–110 mm for males and 50–80 mm for females, as adults, and can reach weights of up to 80–100 grams in the larval stage, though the adults are only about half this weight.
4. The Giant Walking Stick
The Giant Walking Stick is one of the longest walking sticks. The adult female, with outstretched forelegs, spans over 15 inches! Worldwide, there are more than 2,500 closely related species, though some look more like leaves than sticks. Almost all use camouflage to fool insect-eating predators.
5. Female Queen Alexandra’s Birdwings
Female Queen Alexandra’s Birdwings are larger than males with markedly rounder, broader wings. The female can reach a wingspan of 31 cm, a body length of 8 cm (3.2 inches) and a body mass of up to 12 grams, all enormous measurements for a butterfly. The female has brown wings with white markings and a cream-coloured body with a small section of red fur on its thorax. Males are smaller than females with brown wings that have iridescent blue and green markings and a bright yellow abdomen. The wingspan of the males is approximately 20 cm, but more usually about 16 cm. A spectacular form of the male is form atavus, which has gold spots on the hind wings. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing protects itself with a poison which comes from a pipevine plant the animal eats during the caterpillar phase, while the adult only sucks vegetable liquids and nectar.
6. The Titan beetle
The Titan beetle (Titanus giganteus) is the longest known beetle in the Amazon rainforest and one of the longest insect species in the world. The titan beetle is the only member of its own genus. It is known from the rain forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas, and north-central Brazil, where it is most commonly collected by the use of mercury-vapor lamps, to which the males are attracted. Adults can grow up to 6.5 inches in length. It is said that their mandibles can snap pencils in half and cut into human flesh. Adult titan beetles do not feed, they simply fly around to find mates. They are attracted to bright lights after dark.
7. Dung Beetles
Dung Beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. Many dung beetles, known as rollers, are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as a food source or brooding chambers. Other dung beetles, known as tunnelers, bury the dung wherever they find it. A third group, the dwellers, neither roll nor burrow: they simply live in manure. They are often attracted by the dung burrowing owls collect. Dung beetles live in many different habitats, including desert, farmland, forest, and grasslands. They do not prefer extremely cold or dry weather. They are found on all continents except Antarctica.
8. The Giant Water Bug
The Giant Water Bug is one of the largest insects in the U.S. and Canada. Giant water bugs are approximately 1.5 inches in length. Some species grow as long as 4 inches. Because it often turns up under street lights and porch lights, it is also one of the most asked about insects. It is commonly mistaken for a beetle or even a cockroach. Alternate names include toe biter because they can deliver a nasty bite, and electric light bug because they are attracted to lights. Giant Water Bugs like slowly moving water, especially where there is emergent vegetation such as cattails. They usually grab hold of a plant near the surface, and stick their short breathing tube out of the water to allow them to breath while waiting for prey.
9. The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) is a large saturniid moth found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, and common across the Malay archipelago. Atlas moths are considered the largest moths in the world in terms of total wing surface area. Their wingspans are also amongst the largest, from 25–30 cm. Females are appreciably larger and heavier. Atlas moths are said to be named after either the Titan of Greek mythology, or their map-like wing patterns. The purpose of these dramatic, gossamer portals is not clear, but they are thought to play a role in predator avoidance. Their bodies are hairy and disproportionately small compared to their wings. Male Atlas moths are distinguished from females by their smaller size, more tapered wings, and larger, bushier antennae. Neither sex possess fully formed mouth parts and therefore do not feed; throughout their 1–2-week adult life they survive entirely on larval fat reserves that they build up whilethey are caterpillars.
10. The Goliath Bird-eater Spider
The Goliath Bird-eater Spider is considered to be the second largest spider in the world( by leg-span). The spider gets its name from reports of explorers from the Victorian era, who witnessed one eating a hummingbird.
