List of largest insects
Introduction Graphic showing the largest living and extinct insects, from top to bottom, left column: actaeon beetle, ''Coscinocera hercules'', ''Homoioptera gigantea'', titan beetle and ''Gigatitan similis'', central column: ''Mazothairos enormis'', ''Eurycnema versirubra'', ''Meganeuropsis permiana'' and ''Phryganistria'' sp., right column: ''Clatrotitan scullyi'', ''Kalligramma haeckeli'', ''Bojophlebia prokopi'', ''Arachnacris tenuipes'' and ''Thysania agrippina''Insects, which are a type of arthropod, are the most numerous group of multicellular organisms on the planet, with over a million species identified so far. The title of heaviest insect in the world has many contenders, the most frequently crowned of which is the larval stage of the goliath beetle, ''Goliathus goliatus'', the maximum size of which is at least  and . The highest confirmed weight of an adult insect is  for a giant weta, ''Deinacrida heteracantha'', although it is likely one of the elephant beetles, ''Megasoma elephas'' and ''Megasoma actaeon'', or goliath beetles, both of which can commonly exceed  and , can reach a greater weight.The longest insects are the stick insects, see below.Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like order Meganisoptera (also known as griffinflies) such as the Carboniferous ''Meganeura monyi'' and the Permian ''Meganeuropsis permiana'' are the largest insect species ever known. These creatures had a wingspan of some . Their maximum body mass is uncertain, with estimates varying between 34 g and 210 g.
Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) The largest wingspan of any living species of odonate (the order that includes dragonflies and damselflies) belongs to ''Megaloprepus caerulatus'', reaching 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) in wingspan. ''Petalura ingentissima'' has the largest wingspan of any dragonfly at , although ''Tetracanthagyna plagiata'' comes in with a close second of . The largest wing surface area of any living species of odonate belongs to ''Chlorogomphus papilio''. The longest body length of any living species of odonate belongs to ''Mecistogaster lucretia'' with a body length of . The heaviest living species of odonate is probably either ''Petalura ingentissima'' or ''Tetracanthagyna plagiata''. However other species such as ''Anax strenuus'' and ''Anotogaster sieboldii'' and other species in ''Petalura'', ''Tetracanthagyna'', ''Anax'' and ''Anotogaster'' could also be contenders.See also the extinct genera ''Meganeuropsis'' and ''Meganeura'', although they are not certain to be included in the modern dragonfly order.
Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) The largest mayflies are members of the genus ''Proboscidoplocia'' from Madagascar. These insects can reach a length of .
Palaeodictyoptera (extinct) The largest insect of the order Palaeodictyoptera, ''Mazothairos enormis'' from the Carboniferous period, reached a wingspan of about 56 centimeters (22 in).
Grasshoppers, crickets, and relatives (Orthoptera) Giant weta''Arachnacris'' katydids and ''Tropidacris'' grasshoppers reach up to  in length and  in wingspan, making them the largest by these measurements. The largest ''Saga'' and ''Pseudophyllus'' bush crickets are only a few centimeters smaller.The heaviest of this widespread, varied complex of insects is the Little Barrier Island giant weta, ''Deinacrida heteracantha'', of New Zealand; one specimen weighed  and measured nearly , giving it one of the largest insects weights ever known. These heavyweight insects can be over  long.===Titanopterans (Titanoptera) (extinct)===Related to modern orthopterans, Triassic insects of the extinct suborder of Titanoptera surpassed them in size. The wingspan of ''Gigatitan vulgaris'' was as large as of 40 centimetres (16 in). ''Clatrotitan andersoni'' also reached a huge size, having a forewing of 13.8 centimetres (5.4 in) long.
Earwigs (Dermaptera) The largest of the earwigs is the Saint Helena earwig (''Labidura herculeana''), which is up to  in length. There are no recent records of this species and it is generally considered extinct. The largest certainly living species is the Australian giant earwig (''Titanolabis colossea''), which is about  long.
Scorpionflies (Mecoptera) The largest scorpionfly, the common scorpionfly (''Panorpa communis''), can reach a body length of about .
Stick insects (Phasmatodea) ''Phobaeticus serratipes'', one of the longest stick insectsDistributions of stick insect species known to exceed  in total lengthThe longest known stick insects are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe Pharnaciini, but they are generally relatively lightweight because of their slender shape. Female of these stick insects usually reach considerably larger sizes than males of the same species. The longest known is a currently undescribed species of ''Phryganistria'', informally referred to as ''Phryganistria "chinensis"'', that was discovered in China in 2014.A wild collected female kept at the Insect Museum of West China in Chengdu was the record holder with a total length, including extended legs, of , and a body length of , but it was surpassed by one of its captive bred young that reached  in total length.Other very large species, formerly believed to be longest but now considered second longest is ''Phobaeticus chani''; a specimen held in the Natural History Museum in London is  in total length, including extended legs, and it has a body length of . Females of the Australian ''Ctenomorpha gargantua'' have been confirmed at up to  in total length (including extended legs and cerci, the latter of which are unusually long in this species); one captive individual was measured at , but that size remains unconfirmed. Another very large species is ''Phobaeticus kirbyi'' where the total length (including extended legs) is up to  and the body alone up to . Another of the longest insect in terms of total length is ''Phobaeticus serratipes'' of Malaysia and Singapore, measuring up to  in total length.The spiny stick insect (''Heteropteryx dilatata'') of Southeast Asia does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins, the body reaching up to  long, but it is much bulkier. The largest ''Heteropteryx'' weighed about  and was  wide across the thickest part of the body.
Cockroaches and termites (Blattodea) Giant burrowing cockroachThe largest cockroach in length and wingspan is the South American ''Megaloblatta longipennis'', at up to  and , respectively. Other contenders for longest are ''Blaberus giganteus'', which is found in the same general region and may reach a length of up to , depending on source, and ''Princisia vanwaerebeki'' of Madagascar, which grows between 5.6 and 10 cm in length. The heaviest is the Australian giant burrowing cockroach (''Macropanesthia rhinoceros''), which can attain a length of  and a weight of .===Termites===The largest of the termites is the African species ''Macrotermes bellicosus''. The queen of this species can attain a length of  and breadth of ; other adults, however, are about a third of this size.
Praying mantises (Mantodea) The giant stick mantises ''Toxodera maxima'' and ''Ischnomantis gigas'' can reach lengths of over 17 cm, but are more gracile in build than other large mantises. Other species of ''Toxodera'' and ''Ischnomantis'', and other genera of “stick mantises” (''Heterochaeta'', ''Solygia'' and ''Tauromantis''), can attain lengths almost as large (over 16 cm). Mantises of the tribe Hierodulini (of which ''Rhombodera fratricida'' is the largest formally described by science) can reach lengths of nearly  and are more robust than comparably sized mantises of other genera (''Tenodera'', ''Macromantis'', ''Idolomantis'', ''Sphodromantis'', ''Deroplatys'', ''Plistospilota'' and ''Stagmatoptera''). Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, small fish and even small snakes.
True bugs (Hemiptera) Giant water bug walking over landThe heaviest species of this diverse, huge order are the giant water bugs ''Lethocerus grandis'' and ''Lethocerus maximus''. These can surpass a length of , although they are more slender and less heavy than most other insects of this size (principally the huge beetles). The largest wingspan of any Hemiptera belongs to the largest species of cicada: ''Megapomponia imperatoria'', which has a head-body length of about  and a wingspan of . The cicadas of the genus ''Tacua'' can also grow to comparably large sizes. The largest total length of any Hemiptera belongs to ''Gigantometra gigas'' (the largest species of water strider), which has a leg span of more than .The largest type of aphid is the giant oak aphid (''Stomaphis quercus''), which can reach an overall length of . The biggest species of leafhopper is ''Ledromorpha planirostris'', which can reach a length of .
Dobsonflies and relatives (Megaloptera) Megaloptera includes dobsonflies, alderflies and relatives. The largest is the dobsonfly ''Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi'', which can have a wingspan of up to , making it the largest aquatic insect in the world by this measurement. This species is native to China and Vietnam, and its body can be up to  long.
Net-winged insects (Neuroptera) Blue eyes lacewing These flying insects reach their largest size in ''Palparellus voeltzkowi'', which can have a wingspan over . The largest lacewing is the Australian "blue eyes lacewing" (''Nymphes myrmeleonides''), which can measure up to  in length and span  across the wings. Some forms of this ancient order could grow extremely large during the Jurassic period and may have ranked among the largest insects ever. Found in the Early Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, ''Makarkinia adamsi'' had wings nearly  in length.
Lice (Phthiraptera) These parasitic insects are typically modest in size. The largest known species is the hog louse, ''Haematopinus suis'', a sucking louse that lives on large livestock like pigs and cattle. It can range up to  in length.
Stoneflies (Plecoptera) ''Pteronarcys californica''The largest species of stonefly is ''Pteronarcys californica'' of western North America, a species favored by fishermen as lures. This species can attain a length of  and a wingspan of over .
Beetles (Coleoptera) The hercules beetle, the world's longest beetleBeetles constitute the most diverse order of organisms on earth, with about 400,000 species identified to this day. The most massive of them belong to the genera ''Goliathus'', ''Megasoma'', ''Chalcosoma'', ''Titanus'', ''Macrodontia'', and ''Xixuthrus''. The longest is the Hercules beetle, ''Dynastes hercules'', with a maximum overall length of at least  including the very long pronotal horn. The longest overall beetle is a species of longhorn beetle, ''Batocera wallacei'', from New Guinea, which can attain a length of , about  of which is comprised by the long antennae.
Icebugs (Grylloblattodea) The largest icebug species, ''Grylloblatta campodeiformis'',  long, excluding ovipositors and cerci, and are fairly elongate, wingless insects. They are a uniform honey-yellow in colour and covered with very short hair. Unlike some other species of grylloblatid, ''G. campodeiformis'' has eyes which have roughly 70 facets. The head is fairly flat and rounded. The thorax is elongate and over a third of the body length. The abdomen is composed of 10 segments and over half the body length. The legs are long and narrow (cursorial) with stout coxae and long femora. Their antennae are long ~ and thread-like. In adults, the number of antennal subsegments is variable, ranging from 24 to 27.
Ants, bees, and wasps (Hymenoptera) ''Megachile pluto'', the largest bee.The largest of ants, and the heaviest species of the family, are the queens of ''Dorylus helvolus'', reaching a length of . The ant that averages the largest for the mean size of the whole colony is ''Dinoponera gigantea'', averaging up to . Another ant that is native to Australia, ''Myrmecia brevinoda'', workers are reported to be  on average and queens are more than  in length.The largest of bees is ''Megachile pluto'', the females of which can be  long, with a 6.3-cm (2.5-in) wingspan.The largest wingspan of any wasp is probably the so-called tarantula hawk species ''Pepsis heros'', measuring up to  in wingspan, although many other ''Pepsis'' species approach a similar size and other species of wasp can probably attain greater weights. The heaviest wasp is probably either the giant scoliid wasp ''Megascolia procer'' or the largest known social wasp, the queens of the Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia''). The former can reach a body length of over  and a  wingspan, and the latter a body length exceeding  with a  wingspan.
Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) The Queen Alexandra's birdwing is the largest species of butterfly.The largest lepidopteran species overall is often claimed to be either the Queen Alexandra's birdwing (''Ornithoptera alexandrae''), a butterfly from Papua New Guinea, or the Atlas moth (''Attacus atlas''), a moth from Southeast Asia. Both of these species can reach a length of , a wingspan of  and a weight of . One Atlas moth allegedly had a wingspan of  but this measurement was not verified. The larvae in the previous species can weigh up to , respectively. However, the white witch of Central and South America, ''Thysania agrippina'', has the widest recorded wingspan of the order, and indeed of any living insect, at up to . The verified record-sized ''Thysania'' spanned  across the wings, although specimens have been reported to . The largest moth in terms of body mass is the giant wood moth ''Endoxyla cinereus''. Despite having a smaller wingspan than the other species, it has a mass of about  and outweighs them all. The Hercules moth (''Coscinocera hercules''), in the family Saturniidae, is endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia, and its wings have the largest documented surface area (300 square centimeters) of any living insect, and a maximum wingspan which is confirmed to  while unconfirmed specimens have spanned up to .
True flies (Diptera) ''Gauromydas heros'', the world's largest true flyThe species with the largest wingspan in this huge order is ''Gauromydas heros'' (although some species of ''Microstylum'' and ''Pantophthalmus'' can attain wingspans almost as large), which can reach a wingspan of  and a length of . It is also a contender for the longest body length of any true fly, although it is rivaled by ''Microstylum magnum'' for this title.The heaviest flies are undoubtedly the timber flies from the genus ''Pantophthalmus''. The largest total length of any fly belongs to the largest species of crane fly: ''Holorusia brobdignagia''. If the legs are extended in front of and behind the body, then an overall length of  makes it the longest true fly.
Booklice (Psocoptera) The largest of this order of very small insects is the barklouse of the genus ''Psocus'', the maximum size of which is about .
Fleas (Siphonaptera) The largest species of flea is ''Hystrichopsylla schefferi''. This parasite, known exclusively from the fur of the mountain beaver, can reach a length of .
Thrips (Thysanoptera) Members of the genus ''Phasmothrips'' are the largest thrips. The maximum size of these species is about .
Caddisflies (Trichoptera) The largest of the small, moth-like caddisflies is ''Eubasilissa maclachlani''. This species can range up to  across the wings.
Silverfishes and allies (Zygentoma) These insects, known to feed on human household objects, are up to  in length. The largest is the extinct ''Ramsdelepidion schusteri'', which reached  long.
Angel insects (Zoraptera) The largest angel insect species, Hubbard's angel insect (''Zorotypus hubbardi''), grows up to  in length.
See also *Largest prehistoric animals
References