Insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s, which are a type of

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

, are the most numerous group of

multicellular organism A multicellular organism is an organism that consists of more than one cell, in contrast to unicellular organism. All species of animals, land plants and most fungi are multicellular, as are many algae, whereas a few organisms are partially uni- ...

s 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 A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

of the

goliath beetle The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are any of the five species in the genus ''Goliathus''. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight.Karl Meye/ref> They are me ...

, '' Goliathus goliatus'', the maximum size of which is at least and . The highest confirmed weight of an adult insect is for a

giant weta In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fro ...

, ''

Deinacrida heteracantha ''Deinacrida heteracantha'', also known as the ''Little Barrier giant wētā'' or ''wētāpunga'' (Maori: ''wētāpunga''), is a wētā in the order Orthoptera and family Anostostomatidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it survived only on L ...

'', although it is likely one of the elephant beetles, '' Megasoma elephas'' and ''

Megasoma actaeon Actaeon beetle (''Megasoma actaeon'') is a rhinoceros beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. Etymology The species name ''actaeon'' derives from the name Actaeon of a famous Theban hero, son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeot ...

'', 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 Meganisoptera is an extinct order of very large to gigantic insects, informally called griffinflies. The order was formerly named Protodonata, the "proto-Odonata", for their similar appearance and supposed relation to modern Odonata (damselflies ...

(also known as griffinflies) such as the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...

Meganeura monyi ''Meganeura'' is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). They resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies and damselflies, and were predatory, with their diet mainly consisting o ...

'' and the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

Meganeuropsis permiana ''Meganeuropsis'' is an extinct genus of griffinfly, order Meganisoptera, known from the Early Permian Wellington Formation of North America, and represents the largest known insect of all time. ''Meganeuropsis'' existed during the Artinskian ...

'' are the largest

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

species ever known. These creatures had a wingspan of some . Their maximum body mass is uncertain, with estimates varying between 34 g and 240 g.

Dragonflies and damselflies (
Odonata Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two comm ...
)

The largest living species of

odonate Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two comm ...

(the order that includes

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

and

damselflies Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along ...

) is ''

Megaloprepus caerulatus ''Megaloprepus caerulatus'' is a damselfly of the Forest Giant family within the Coenagrioniae family. Giant damselflies were previously recognized as their own family, Pseudostigmatidae. ''M. caerulatus'' is found in wet and moist forests in Ce ...

'', attaining a size of as much as 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) long, ''

Tetracanthagyna plagiata The giant hawker (''Tetracanthagyna plagiata'') or the gigantic riverhawker, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found throughout Sundaland, having been recorded on Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Born ...

'' of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

is bulkier and heavier than '' Megaloprepus'' at up to across the wings and a body length of over . * See also the extinct genera ''

Meganeuropsis ''Meganeuropsis'' is an extinct genus of griffinfly, order Meganisoptera, known from the Early Permian Wellington Formation of North America, and represents the largest known insect of all time. ''Meganeuropsis'' existed during the Artinskian ...

'' and ''

Meganeura ''Meganeura'' is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). They resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies and damselflies, and were predatory, with their diet mainly consisting o ...

'', 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 Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. These insects can reach a length of .

Palaeodictyoptera The Palaeodictyoptera are an extinct order of medium-sized to very large, primitive Palaeozoic paleopterous insects. They are informative about the evolution of wings in insects. Overview They were characterized by beak-like mouthparts, used ...
(extinct)

The largest insect of the Palaeodictyoptera order, '' Mazothairos enormis'' from the

period reached a wingspan of about 56 centimeters (22 in).

Grasshoppers, crickets, and relatives (
Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...
)

'' Arachnacris'' katydids and '' Tropidacris'' grasshoppers reach up to in length and in wingspan, making them the largest by these measurements. The largest ''

Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

'' 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, ''

'', 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. The largest grasshopper species is often considered to be the Australian giant grasshopper (''

Valanga irregularis ''Valanga irregularis'' (common name "giant grasshopper", "giant valanga" or "hedge grasshopper") belongs to the Family (biology), family Acrididae. The distribution is restricted in the Australian tropics and subtropics. The species is the large ...

''), which ranges up to in length. The American eastern lubber grasshopper ('' Romalea guttata'') can allegedly range up to in length. However, the greatest grasshopper sizes known, to , have been cited in the South American giant grasshopper ('' Tropidacris violaceus''). The longest members of this order (although much lighter than the giant wetas) is the katydid '' Macrolyristes corporalis'' of Southeast Asia which can range up to with its long legs extended and can have a wingspan of .

Titanopterans (Titanoptera) (extinct)

Related to modern orthopterans,

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

insects of the extinct suborder of

Titanoptera Titanoptera is an extinct order of neopteran insects from late Carboniferous to Triassic periods. Titanopterans were very large in comparison with modern insects, some having wingspans of up to or even . Description Titanopterans are related ...

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 Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded ...
)

The largest of the

earwig Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded ...

s is the

Saint Helena earwig The Saint Helena earwig or Saint Helena giant earwig (''Labidura herculeana'') is an extinct species of very large earwig endemism, endemic to the oceanic island of Saint Helena in the south Atlantic Ocean. Description Growing as large as lon ...

(''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 Mecoptera (from the Greek: ''mecos'' = "long", ''ptera'' = "wings") is an order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine families worldwide. Mecopterans are sometimes called scorpionflies after their lar ...
)

The largest scorpionfly, the

common scorpionfly ''Panorpa communis'', the common scorpionfly, is a species of Mecoptera, scorpionfly. Distribution This species is native to Europe (mostly) and Northern Asia. Habitat These scorpionflies can be usually found in hedgerows and patches of Urtica ...

(''Panorpa communis''), can reach a body length of about .UK Safari
/ref>

Alderflies and allies ( Megaloptera)

This relatively small insect order includes some rather large species, many of which are noticeable for their elongated, imposing mandibles. The

dobsonflies Dobsonflies are a subfamily of insects, Corydalinae, part of the Megalopteran family Corydalidae. The larvae (commonly called hellgrammites) are aquatic, living in streams, and the adults are often found along streams as well. The nine genera o ...

reach the greatest sizes of the order and can range up to in length.

Stick insects ( Phasmatodea)

The longest known

stick insect The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida, Phasmatoptera or Spectra) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick-bugs, walking sticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as ...

s are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe Pharnaciini, but they are generally relatively lightweight because of their slender shape. The longest is an unnamed species of ''

Phryganistria ''Phryganistria'' is a genus of stick insects belonging to the subfamily Clitumninae. It was described by the Swedish entomologist Carl Stål in 1875. Members of the genus are found only in Southeast Asia. Of the new species described in 2014, ' ...

'' discovered in China in 2016, where a specimen held at the Insect Museum of West China in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

has a total length of . The second-longest species is the Australian '' Ctenomorpha gargantua'', females of which have been measured at over in total length. Other very large species, formerly believed to be longest but now considered third longest is ''

Sadyattes chani ''Phobaeticus chani'' or Chan's megastick, also known by its synonym ''Sadyattes chani'', is a species of stick insect in the tribe Pharnaciini. It is one of the longest insects in the world and was once considered the record-holder (it is cur ...

''; a specimen held in the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

in London has a total length of . These measurements are, however, with the front legs fully extended; it has a body length measuring . Another very large species is '' Phobaeticus kirbyi'' where the total length (including extended legs) is up to and the body alone up to .Brock, P.D. 1999. ''The amazing world of stick and leaf-insects''. Cravitz Printing Co., Essex, England. Another of the longest insect in terms of total length is ''

Phobaeticus serratipes ''Phobaeticus serratipes'' (formerly known as ''Pharnacia serratipes'') is a species of stick insect that at one time was the longest known insect, with one female specimen recorded as being 555 mm long. This measurement includes the legs ...

'' of Malaysia and Singapore, measuring up to . Another extremely long stick insect is '' Pharnacia maxima'', which measured with its legs extended. The spiny stick insect (''

Heteropteryx dilatata ''Heteropteryx'' is a monotypic genus of stick insects containing ''Heteropteryx dilatata'' as the only described species. and gives its name to the family of the Heteropterygidae. Their only species may be known as jungle nymph, Malaysian sti ...

'') of Malaysia 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 Blattodea is an order of insects that contains cockroaches and termites. Formerly, termites were considered a separate order, Isoptera, but genetic and molecular evidence suggests they evolved from within the cockroach lineage, cladistically ...
)

The largest

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as ...

in length and wingspan is the South and Central American ''

Megaloblatta ''Megaloblatta'' is a genus of cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae. It includes the largest living species of cockroach, '' Megaloblatta longipennis'', which can grow to in length and have a wingspan of up to . ''Megaloblatta'', like many othe ...

'', at up to and , respectively. Another contender for longest is '' Blaberus giganteus'', which is found in the same general region and may reach a length of up to , depending on source. The heaviest is the Australian

giant burrowing cockroach The giant burrowing cockroach (''Macropanesthia rhinoceros'') is also known as the rhinoceros cockroach, and Queensland giant cockroach. These cockroaches are native to Australia and mostly found in tropical and subtropical parts of Queensland. ...

(''Macropanesthia rhinoceros''), which can attain a length of and a weight of .

Termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
s

The largest of the

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...

s is the African species ''

Macrotermes bellicosus ''Macrotermes bellicosus'' is a species of ''Macrotermes''. It is the largest termite known, with queens measuring about long, workers about and soldiers are slightly larger. ' means "combative" in Latin. The species is a member of a genus indi ...

''. The queen of this species can attain a length of and breadth of ; other adults, however, are about a third of this size.

Praying
mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
es (Mantodea)

Giant shield mantises of the genus ''

Rhombodera ''Rhombodera'' is a genus of praying mantises native to Asia and possessing common names such as shield mantis, hood mantis (or hooded mantis), and leaf mantis (or leafy mantis) because of their extended, leaf-like thoraxes. Species These 29 spe ...

'' (of which '' Rhombodera fratricida'' is the largest known) can reach lengths of nearly and are more robust than comparably sized mantises of other genera (''

Tenodera ''Tenodera''Burmeister H (1838) ''Handb. Ent., Burm.'' 2: 534. is a genus of mantis in the family Mantidae which contains several species of praying mantises. The species in this genus can be found primarily in Africa, Asia and Australia, but al ...

'', '' Macromantis'', ''

Hierodula ''Hierodula'' is a genus of praying mantids in the tribe Hierodulini, found throughout Asia. Many species are referred to by the common name giant Asian mantis because of their large size compared to other mantids. Their large size and vibrant co ...

'', '' Idolomantis'', '' Sphodromantis'', ''

Deroplatys ''Deroplatys'' is a genus of mantis in the family Deroplatyidae. They are native to Asia and several share the common name of dead leaf mantis. Species The ''Mantodea Species File'' lists: * '' Deroplatys angustata'' (Westwood, 1845) * '' Der ...

'', '' Plistospilota'', ''

Titanodula ''Titanodula'' is a genus of mantids in the subfamily Hierodulinae. There are currently five species placed in ''Titanodula''. The genus is endemic to Asia and is distinguished from the similar genus '' Hierodula'' by the large size and unique m ...

'' and '' Tauromantis''). Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, and even snakes. 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'' and '' Solygia'') can attain lengths almost as large.

True bugs (
Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...
)

The largest species of this diverse, huge order are the

giant water bug Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas (in Florida). They are the largest insects in the ord ...

s ''

Lethocerus ''Lethocerus'' is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of speci ...

grandis'' and ''L. 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

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s). The largest

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...

is '' Megapomponia imperatoria'', which has a head-body length of about and a wingspan of . The cicadas of the genus ''

Tacua ''Tacua speciosa'' is a very large Southeast Asian species of cicada. It is the only member of the genus ''Tacua''. Description ''Tacua speciosa'' has a wingspan of and a head-body length of . '' Megapomponia'', ''Pomponia'' and ''Tacua'' are ...

'' can also grow to comparably large sizes. The largest type of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

is the giant oak aphid ('' Stomaphis quercus''), which can reach an overall length of . The biggest species of

leafhopper A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and a ...

is '' Ledromorpha planirostris'', which can reach a length of .

Dobsonflies and relatives ( Megaloptera)

Megaloptera includes

, alderflies and relatives. The largest is the dobsonfly ''

Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi ''Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi'' is a species of dobsonfly native to Vietnam and China. It holds the title of largest aquatic insect by wingspan according to the Guinness Book of World Records at 21.6 cm. The title formerly belonged to the Brazi ...

'', 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)

These flying insects reach their largest size in '' Palparellus voeltzkowi'', which can have a wingspan over . The largest

lacewing The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in t ...

is the Australian "blue eyes lacewing" (''

Nymphes myrmeleonides ''Nymphes myrmeleonides'' is an Australian insect in the order Neuroptera, known as the ''blue eyes lacewing''. It is found in areas of New South Wales and Queensland. The species have a body length of up to and a wingspan of up to , each wing e ...

''), 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 The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

period and may have ranked among the largest insects ever. Found in the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic matter, organic particles at Earth#Surface, Earth's surface, followed by cementation (geology), cementation. Sedimentati ...

rocks, '' Makarkinia adamsi'' had wings nearly in length.

Lice (
Phthiraptera Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...
)

These parasitic insects are typically modest in size. The largest known species is the hog louse, ''

Haematopinus suis ''Haematopinus suis'', the hog louse, is one of the largest members of the louse suborder Anoplura, which consists of sucking lice that commonly afflict a number of mammals. ''H. suis'' is found almost solely on the skin surface of swine ...

'', a

sucking louse Sucking lice (Anoplura, formerly known as Siphunculata) have around 500 species and represent the smaller of the two traditional superfamilies of lice. As opposed to the paraphyletic chewing lice, which are now divided among three suborders, th ...

that lives on large livestock like

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

s and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

. It can range up to in length.

Stoneflies ( Plecoptera)

The largest species of

stonefly Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...

is ''

Pteronarcys californica ''Pteronarcys californica'' is a species of insect in the family Pteronarcyidae, the giant stoneflies and salmonflies. It is known commonly as a salmonfly.Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

)

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s 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 The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are any of the five species in the genus ''Goliathus''. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight.Karl Meye/ref> They are mem ...

'', ''

Megasoma ''Megasoma'' is a genus of rhinoceros beetles. Commonly known as the elephant beetles, ''Megasoma'' species are found from the southern half of North America to most of South America. Appearance ''Megasoma'' are generally large in size (as indic ...

'', '' Chalcosoma'', ''

Titanus Titanus is an Italian film production company, founded in 1904 by Gustavo Lombardo (1885–1951). The company's headquarters are located at 28 Via Sommacampagna, Rome and its studios on the Via Tiburtina, 13 km from the centre of Rome. Lom ...

'', '' Macrodontia'', and '' Xixuthrus''. The longest is the

Hercules beetle The Hercules beetle (''Dynastes hercules'') is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles. It is the longest extant species of beetle in the world, and is also one of the ...

, ''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 The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

, ''

Batocera wallacei ''Batocera wallacei'', common name Wallace's long-horn beetle, is a species of flat-faced longhorn beetle in the subfamily Lamiinae of the family Cerambycidae. The species name honors Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered this longhorn beetle on ...

'', from New Guinea, which can attain a length of , about of which is comprised by the long antennae.

Icebugs (
Grylloblattodea Grylloblattidae, commonly known as the icebugs, or ice crawlers, is a family of extremophile (psychrophile) and wingless insects that live in the cold on top of mountains and the edges of glaciers. They belong, along with Mantophasmatidae (rock c ...
)

The largest icebug species, ''

Grylloblatta campodeiformis ''Grylloblatta campodeiformis'', also known as the northern rock crawler, is an omnivorous species of insect in family Grylloblattidae. Like other species in the genus '' Grylloblatta'', it is endemic to North America. Taxonomy This species was ...

'', long, excluding

ovipositor The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

s 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 A facet is a flat surface of a geometric shape, e.g., of a cut gemstone. Facet may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Facets'' (album), an album by Jim Croce * ''Facets'', a 1980 album by jazz pianist Monty Alexander and his tri ...

. The head is fairly flat and rounded. The

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

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 Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...
)

The largest of

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

s, and the heaviest species of the family, are the females of ''

Dorylus helvolus ''Dorylus'', also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is a large genus of army ants found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to southern Africa and tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swah ...

'', reaching a length of . The ant that averages the largest for the mean size of the whole colony is ''

Dinoponera gigantea ''Dinoponera gigantea'' is a species of ant belonging to the family Formicidae. Names It is called taramãçu or uitsi in the Kwaza language of Rondônia, Brazil. Description ''Dinoponera gigantea'' is one of the world's largest species of a ...

'', 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.Wood, Gerald ''The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats'' (1983) The largest of

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

is ''

Megachile pluto ''Megachile pluto'', also known as Wallace's giant bee or (), is a large resin bee found in Indonesia. With a wingspan of it is the largest known living bee species. It was believed to be extinct until several specimens were discovered in 1981 ...

'', the females of which can be long, with a 6.3-cm (2.5-in) wingspan. The largest wasp is probably the so-called

tarantula hawk A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera ''Pepsis'' and ''Hemipepsis.'' They are one of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze the ...

species '' Pepsis pulszkyi'', measuring up to in length and in wingspan, although many other ''

Pepsis ''Pepsis'' is a genus of spider wasps belonging to the family Pompilidae. Species within this genus are also called tarantula hawks, as they usually hunt tarantulas, similarly to many species in the genus ''Hemipepsis''. These wasps are restr ...

'' species approach a similar size. The giant scoliid wasp ''

Megascolia procer ''Megascolia procer'', the giant scoliid wasp, is a solitary wasp in the family Scoliidae found across the Oriental region. It is one of the largest wasps in the world, with a wingspan of 11.6 cm. Measurement scale on Figure 1. Descriptio ...

'' may rival the tarantula hawks in weight, if not length and wingspan. The largest known social wasps are queens of the

Asian giant hornet The Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia'') or northern giant hornet, including the color form referred to as the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Sout ...

(''Vespa mandarinia''), which can reach a body length exceeding 5 cm long with a wingspan.

Butterflies and moths (
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
)

The largest lepidopteran species overall is often claimed to be either the

Queen Alexandra's birdwing ''Ornithoptera alexandrae'', the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, is the largest species of butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of 25 cm to 28 cm (9.8 inches to 11 inches). This birdwing is restricted to the ...

(''Ornithoptera alexandrae''), a butterfly from Papua New Guinea, or the Atlas moth (''

Attacus atlas ''Attacus atlas'', the Atlas moth, is a large Saturniidae, saturniid moth endemic to the forests of Asia. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Descri ...

''), 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 ''Thysania agrippina'' is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was described by Maria Sibylla Merian in her 1705 publication ''Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium,'' and Pieter Cramer provided the Species description, formal descripti ...

'', 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 ''Endoxyla cinereus'', the giant wood moth, is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) and New Zealand. The species was first described in 1890. A rare contemporary sighting of the moth at a school in ...

''. Despite having a smaller wingspan than the other species, it has a mass of about and outweighs them all. The

Hercules moth ''Coscinocera hercules'', the Hercules moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae, endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia. The species was first described by William Henry Miskin in 1876. Description Adults have a wingspan of about , mak ...

(''Coscinocera hercules''), in the family

Saturniidae Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and gi ...

, is endemic to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, 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 Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
)

The largest species of this huge order is ''

Gauromydas heros ''Gauromydas heros'' is a species of giant fly belonging to the family Mydidae. It is the largest species of the entire order of Diptera or true flies. Distribution This species has a Neotropical distribution (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). Descr ...

'', which can reach a length of and a wingspan of . The largest species of

crane fly Crane fly is a common name referring to any member of the insect family Tipulidae. Cylindrotominae, Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family rank. In the most ...

(which are much thinner than ''Gauromydas'') is ''

Holorusia ''Holorusia'' is a genus of true crane fly, including the largest known crane fly species, '' Holorusia mikado''. Biology The larvae are aquatic. Distribution Asia & Australasia. Species *'' H. aberrans'' (Alexander, 1920) *'' H. agni'' Ale ...

brobdignagius''. It can attain about the same head-and-body length and wingspan, but 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 Psocoptera are a paraphyletic group of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. The name Psocoptera has been replaced with Psocodea in recent literature, with the inclusion of the former order Phthiraptera into Psocode ...
)

The largest of this order of very small insects is the barklouse of the genus '' Psocus'', the top size of which is about .

Fleas ( Siphonaptera)

The largest species of

flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

is '' Hystrichopsylla schefferi''. This parasite, known exclusively from the fur of the

mountain beaver The mountain beaver (''Aplodontia rufa'')Other names include mountain boomer, ground bear, giant mole, gehalis, lesser sasquatch, sewellel, suwellel, showhurll, showtl, and showte, as well as a number of Chinookan and other Native American terms ...

, can reach a length of .

Thrips (
Thysanoptera Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...
)

Members of the genus ''

Phasmothrips ''Phasmothrips'' is a genus of thrips in the family Phlaeothripidae. Its members are the largest known thrips, reaching lengths of up to 1.3 cm (0.51 in). Its only known species is ''Phasmothrips asperatus''.Roskov Y., Ower G., Orrell ...

'' are the largest

thrip Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

s. The maximum size of these species is about .

Caddisflies (
Trichoptera The caddisflies, or order Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. There are approximately 14,500 described species, most of which can be divided into the suborders Integripalpia and Annulipalpia on the b ...
)

The largest of the small, moth-like caddisflies is '' Eubasilissa maclachlani''. This species can range up to across the wings.

Silverfishes and allies (
Thysanura Thysanura is the now deprecated name of what was, for over a century, recognised as an order in the class Insecta. The two constituent groups within the former order, the Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) and the Zygentoma (silverfish and fireb ...
)

These insects, known to feed on human household objects, are up to in length. One 350 million-year-old form grew up to long.

Angel insects (
Zoraptera The insect order (biology), order Zoraptera, commonly known as angel insects, contains small and soft bodied insects with two forms: winged with wings sheddable as in termites, dark and with eyes (compound) and ocelli (simple); or wingless, pale ...
)

The largest angel insect species, Hubbard's angel insect (''Zorotypus hubbardi''), grows up to in length.

References

{{Reflist Largest insects

Insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ...

Lists of largest organisms

Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two comm ...)

Mayflies ( Ephemeroptera)

Palaeodictyoptera The Palaeodictyoptera are an extinct order of medium-sized to very large, primitive Palaeozoic paleopterous insects. They are informative about the evolution of wings in insects. Overview They were characterized by beak-like mouthparts, used ... (extinct)

Grasshoppers, crickets, and relatives (Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...)

Titanopterans (Titanoptera) (extinct)

Earwigs (Dermaptera Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded ...)

Scorpionflies (Mecoptera Mecoptera (from the Greek: ''mecos'' = "long", ''ptera'' = "wings") is an order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine families worldwide. Mecopterans are sometimes called scorpionflies after their lar ...)

Alderflies and allies ( Megaloptera)

Stick insects ( Phasmatodea)

Cockroaches and termites (Blattodea Blattodea is an order of insects that contains cockroaches and termites. Formerly, termites were considered a separate order, Isoptera, but genetic and molecular evidence suggests they evolved from within the cockroach lineage, cladistically ...)

Termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...s

Praying mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...es (Mantodea)

True bugs (Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...)

Dobsonflies and relatives ( Megaloptera)

Net-winged insects ( Neuroptera)

Lice (Phthiraptera Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...)