What is the largest insect?
The answer depends on how you measure. Giant wētā and Goliath beetles are among the heaviest insects, while some stick insects are the longest, reaching over 60 centimeters with legs stretched out.
The giant wētā of New Zealand is one of the heaviest insects. One female was recorded weighing about 71 grams, heavier than a sparrow. Goliath beetles of Africa can weigh up to around 100 grams as larvae and are among the heaviest adult insects, reaching about 11 centimeters long.
For length, stick insects win. A stick insect from China, found in 2014, measured about 62 centimeters including its outstretched legs. The Atlas moth and the white witch moth have some of the largest wingspans, around 25 to 30 centimeters.
Giants of the past
About 300 million years ago, insects were even bigger. Meganeuropsis, a dragonfly-like insect, had a wingspan of about 70 centimeters. Scientists think the higher oxygen levels in the air at that time allowed larger insects to breathe through their tiny air tubes.
Did You Know?
Insects cannot grow very large today partly because they breathe through small tubes called tracheae, which work poorly over long distances.