Are you afraid of dragonflies, insects and even moths? Probably, the inhabitants of the tropics will laugh at your fears, because their land is inhabited by insects, whose weight reaches 100 grams and a length of up to 20 cm. In tropical forests, you often have to look around to prevent a huge flying beetle from crashing into your forehead.
Consider the largest insects, their lifestyle and the places in which they live.
Fifth place - Asian hornet
The huge Asian hornet is the largest hornet in nature. Its length can reach 6 cmand the wingspan is 8 cm. The bite of this insect with a sting of 6 mm is dangerous, since its body secretes a highly toxic poison mandorotoxin. These hornets sting like ordinary wasps, and crush victims with large jaws, like predators. They eat meat, fish, berries, larvae - exclusively meat.
Hornets are dangerous to people: in some regions more than 100 people die from hornet bites a year. With an allergy to bites, they can provoke anaphylactic shock. The attack of several individuals causes cardiac arrest even in a healthy person. Hornets are especially dangerous for apiaries. They can ruin the nest of less aggressive bees in a matter of hours.
Fourth place - giant Ueta
Giant Ueta is a wingless insect with a thick body of brown color. It has large modified mandibles - horns, with the help of which they arrange "battles" - butts. Insect length - up to 9 cm, weight - 50-75 g. It inhabits Ueta in the reserve of New Zealand Te-Hauturu-o-Toy in dense forests. To get here, you need special permission. There are no small mammals on the island, so their place is taken by the Veta. Insects can neither jump nor fly. They feed on fruits, leaves, flowers.
Ueta is protected by spikes from opponents. As the threat approaches, the giant discards its hind legs dotted with sharp spikes. If the defense does not work, the individual pretends to be dead, falling on its back.
Third place - giant stick
Giant stickman - is on the verge of extinction, has long been considered extinct due to rat invasions. However, in 2001 on the uninhabited island of the Pyramid of Ball found 20 giant sticks. Naturalists actively engaged in their breeding, and by 2008, there were already 700 giant sticks. Giant stick insect - the longest insect. Its length is 12 cm, weight is up to 25 g. Outwardly, it looks like a knot, which is why it is easy to mimic. Able to freeze in an unnatural pose for a long time.
Giant chopsticks are vegetarians, sometimes eating their own peel. Basically gnaw leaves and branches, at home - branches of raspberries, rose hips. Because of their unpretentiousness, they are suitable for breeding at home. They are kept in a terrarium with a humidity of 70%, a temperature of 20-25 C, with good lighting and heating.
Second Place - Peacock Eye Butterfly
Butterfly Peacock-eye - the largest butterfly on the planet. The length of her body is up to 12 cm, the wingspan of some species of individuals is 26-28 cm.It lives in all continents except Antarctica. Butterfly caterpillars feed on the leaves of trees (apple trees, cherries, alders), and adult butterflies do not eat at all. They live off the nutrients they have accumulated as caterpillars.
Peacock eyes have a very developed sense of smell. When at the moment of puberty the females emit a smell with pheromones, the males feel them for several kilometers. The egg laid by the female has a diameter of 2 mm; after 9-10 days, the caterpillars hatch from them.
Peacock-eye is actively used in industry: it is made of scabbard - a special kind of silk, dense and durable.
The largest insect in the world
Goliath beetle - the heaviest beetle on the planet. The length of this winged is up to 12 cm (females - up to 8 cm), and weight - almost 50 g. Coloring is varied: it depends on the terrain, climate and humidity. Often it is black with a white pattern on the wings. A darker color is characteristic of representatives of Central Africa, and a light color is characteristic of South and West. Dark patches velvety to the touch. Basically, bugs lead a daily life, actively fly, but land extremely rarely.
Giants feed on overripe fruits, and larvae eat pretty leaves and humus. Goliaths are characterized by cannibalism - adult beetles eat young ones.
Mating games are interesting in the species: after them, the female digs herself into the cradle and lays eggs. There is pupation of individuals. By the end of development, their weight reaches 110 g, and their length is 15 cm.
Creepy Do not be scared. The size of the insect does not always indicate danger.There are many giants that are completely harmless to humans: a giant camel spider, stick-stick, peacock-eye, tarantula spider, giant UET. Among small insects there are much more dangerous pests. For example, in America, more than 30 people die from the bite of fire ants a year. Pests set fires, climbing into air conditioners, traffic lights, office equipment, thereby causing a short circuit.
