Insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s, which are a type of

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

, are the most numerous group of

multicellular organism A multicellular organism is an organism that consists of more than one cell (biology), cell, unlike unicellular organisms. All species of animals, Embryophyte, land plants and most fungi are multicellular, as are many algae, whereas a few organism ...

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 of the goliath beetle, ''

Goliathus goliatus ''Goliathus goliatus'' is a very large species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae, native to tropical Africa. Description ''Goliathus goliatus'' is one of the largest species in the genus ''Goliathus'' and one of the largest insects in gener ...

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

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

, ''

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

'', although it is likely that one of the

elephant beetle The elephant beetle (''Megasoma elephas'') is a member of the family Scarabaeidae and the subfamily Dynastinae. Elephant beetles are Neotropical rhinoceros beetles. Appearance Elephant beetles are black in color and covered with a coat of fine ...

s, '' Megasoma elephas'' and '' Megasoma actaeon'', or

goliath beetles The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are any of the six species in the genus ''Goliathus''. Goliath beetles are among List of largest insects, the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight.Kar ...

, both of which can commonly exceed and , can reach a greater weight. The longest insects are the

stick insects The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's dar ...

, see below. Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Meganisoptera Meganisoptera is an extinct order of large dragonfly-like insects, informally known as griffenflies or (incorrectly) as giant dragonflies. The order was formerly named Protodonata, the "proto-Odonata", for their similar appearance and supposed r ...

(also known as griffinflies) such as the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a Geologic time scale, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the ...

Meganeura monyi ''Meganeura'' is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). It is a member of the extinct order Meganisoptera, which are closely related to and resemble dragonflies and damselflies (with dragonf ...

'' and the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), 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 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

'' Meganeuropsis permiana'' are the largest

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

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 Odonata is an order of predatory flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies (as well as the '' Epiophlebia'' damsel-dragonflies). The two major groups are distinguished with dragonflies (Anisoptera) usually being bulkier with l ...

(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 dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

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, Epiprocta) but are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the win ...

) belongs to ''

Megaloprepus caerulatus ''Megaloprepus caerulatus'', also known as the blue-winged helicopter, is a forest giant damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. Forest giant damselflies were previously recognized as their own family, Pseudostigmatidae. ''M. caerulatus'' is fou ...

'', reaching 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) in wingspan. ''

Petalura ingentissima ''Petalura ingentissima'', the giant petaltail, has been described as the world's largest dragonfly, with a wingspan of 160 mm. It is found in Queensland, Australia. Dr R.J. Tillyard described the giant petaltail in 1908. Its species name ...

'' has the largest wingspan of any dragonfly at , although ''

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 ...

'' comes in with a close second of . The largest wing surface area of any living species of odonate belongs to '' Chlorogomphus papilio'', a dragonfly. 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 ''

'' or ''

''. However, other species such as '' Anax strenuus'' and '' Anotogaster sieboldii'' and other species in '' Petalura'', '' Tetracanthagyna'', ''

Anax (Greek alphabet, Greek: ; from earlier , ') is an ancient Greek word for "tribal chief, lord (military) leader".. It is one of the two Greek titles traditionally translated as "king", the other being basileus, and is inherited from Mycenaean G ...

'' and '' Anotogaster'' could also be contenders. See also the extinct genera '' Meganeuropsis'' and ''

Meganeura ''Meganeura'' is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). It is a member of the extinct order Meganisoptera, which are closely related to and resemble dragonflies and damselflies (with drago ...

'', 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, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. These insects can reach a length of .

Palaeodictyoptera (extinct)

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

period, reached a wingspan of about 85 centimeters

Grasshoppers, crickets, and relatives (Orthoptera)

Arachnacris ''Arachnacris'' is an Asian genus of large bush crickets in the sub-family Mecopodinae and tribe Mecopodini. They are found in tropical forest areas of Malesia. Species The ''Orthoptera Species File'' lists: # ''Arachnacris amboinensis '' ...

'' katydids and ''

Tropidacris ''Tropidacris'' is a Neotropical genus of grasshopper in the family Romaleidae. They are among the largest grasshoppers in the world by length and wingspan, reaching up to and respectively. They are variably colored in green, brown, black, red ...

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

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

'' 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 insect weights ever known. These heavyweight insects can be over long.

Titanopterans (Titanoptera) (extinct)

Related to modern orthopterans,

Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...

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)

The largest of the

earwig Earwigs make up the insect order (biology), order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cercus, cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincer (biology), pincers on ...

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 endemic to the oceanic island of Saint Helena in the south Atlantic Ocean. Description Growing as large as long (includi ...

(''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'', the common scorpionfly, is a species of scorpionfly. Distribution This species is native to Europe (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and European Russia) and Northern Asia. ...

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

Stick insects (Phasmatodea)

The longest known

stick insect The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's da ...

s are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe

Pharnaciini Pharnaciini is a tribe of Asian stick insects, erected by Klaus Günther in 1953.Günther K (1953) Über die taxonomische Gliederung und die geographische Verbreitung der Insektenordnung der Phasmatodea. ''Beiträge zur Entomologie'', 3(5), 541� ...

, 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 In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon (for example, a species) that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. U ...

of ''

Phryganistria ''Phryganistria'' is a genus of stick insects belonging to the subfamily Clitumninae, native to Mainland Southeast Asia, including Yunnan China, central Vietnam and Bangladesh. The species in this genus have been subject to revision, with several ...

'', 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 Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...

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 A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

in London is in total length, including extended legs, and it has a body length of . Females of the Australian ''

Ctenomorpha gargantua ''Ctenomorpha gargantua'', the gargantuan stick insect, is a species of stick insect that is endemic to rainforests in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is Australia's longest stick insect and among the world's longest stick insects, with ...

'' 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 .Brock, P. D. (1999). ''The amazing world of stick and leaf-insects''. Essex, England: Cravitz. 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)

The largest

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the Order (biology), order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known Pest (organism), pests. Modern cockro ...

in length and wingspan is the South American '' Megaloblatta longipennis'', at up to and , respectively. Other contenders for longest are ''

Blaberus giganteus ''Blaberus giganteus'', the Central American giant cave cockroach or Brazilian cockroach, is a cockroach belonging to the Family (biology), family Blaberidae. One of the List of largest insects#Cockroaches and termites (Blattodea), world's larges ...

'', 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 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. T ...

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

Termites

The largest of the

termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

s is the African species ''

Macrotermes bellicosus ''Macrotermes bellicosus'' is a species of ''Macrotermes''. The queens are the largest amongst known termites, measuring about long when physogastric. The workers average in length and soldiers are slightly larger. ' means "combative" in Latin. ...

''. 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 ''Ischnomantis gigas'' is a species of mantis from the family Rivetinidae The Rivetinidae are a family of praying mantids, based on the type genus '' Rivetina''. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, this family contains many genera ...

'' can reach lengths of over 17 cm, but are more gracile in build than other large mantises. Other species of ''

Toxodera ''Toxodera'' is the type genus of mantises in the family Toxoderidae Toxoderidae is a family of praying mantises. Subordinate taxa The ''Mantodea Species File'' lists: Subfamily Compsothespinae *Genus '' Compsothespis'' Saussure, 1872 Subf ...

'' and ''

Ischnomantis ''Ischnomantis'' is a genus of 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 ...

'', 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 ''Rhombodera fratricida'' is a species of praying mantises in the family Mantidae, found in Indomalaya. See also *List of mantis genera and species The following list of mantis genera and species is based on the "Mantodea Species File", which ...

'' is the largest known to science) can reach lengths of nearly and are more robust than comparably sized mantises of other genera ('' Tenodera'', '' Macromantis'', ''

Idolomantis ''Idolomantis'' is a monotypic genus of praying mantises in the family Empusidae. It contains the single species, ''Idolomantis diabolica'', commonly known as the devil's flower mantis or giant devil's flower mantis. It is one of the largest sp ...

'', ''

Sphodromantis ''Sphodromantis'' is a large genus of praying mantises concentrated in Africa, sometimes considered a synonym of the genus ''Hierodula'': from the same family, Mantidae. Outside their range especially, many share the common name African Mantis. ...

'', ''

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 latest revision by Zhang, Jia-Zhi & Price, Benjamin lists 14 total species: * '' Dero ...

'', '' Plistospilota'' and ''

Stagmatoptera ''Stagmatoptera'' is a genus consisting of 14 species of mantises in the monotypic tribe Stagmatopterini, that inhabit the Neotropical region. Species *''Stagmatoptera abdominalis'' *''Stagmatoptera binotata'' *''Stagmatoptera biocellata'' *' ...

''). Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, small fish and even small snakes.

True bugs (Hemiptera)

The heaviest species of this 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 (because they fly to lights in large numbers), alligator ticks, or alligator fleas (in Flo ...

s ''

Lethocerus grandis ''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 ...

'' and ''

Lethocerus maximus ''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 ...

''. 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 Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

s). The largest wingspan of any

hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

n belongs to the largest species of

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 ...

: ''

Megapomponia imperatoria The empress cicada (''Megapomponia imperatoria'') is a species of cicada from Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions tha ...

'', 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'' (from zh, t=大鼓, hp=dàgǔ, w=ta4ku3, l=big drum)Amyot CJB, Audinet-Serville, JG (1843) Homoptères. Homoptera Latr. n''Histo ...

'' can also grow to comparably large sizes. The largest total length of any

n belongs to ''

Gigantometra gigas ''Gigantometra'' is a monotypic genus of water-strider bugs, containing the species ''Gigantometra gigas'': its name indicating that it is the largest species in its family Gerridae. It has been found in pools of fast-flowing, subtropical and t ...

'' (the largest species of

water strider The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. They are true bugs of the ...

), which has a leg span of more than . The largest type of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

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

leafhopper Leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family (biology), family Cicadellidae: based on the type genus ''Cicadella''. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or ...

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

Dobsonflies and relatives (Megaloptera)

Megaloptera includes

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 ...

alderflies Alderflies are megalopteran insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies and fishflies as well as to the prehistoric Euchauliodidae. All living alderflies – about 66 species all together – are part of the subfa ...

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 Hemerobiiformia are a suborder of insects in the order Neuroptera that include most of the lacewings, antlions and their allies. The phylogeny of the Neuroptera was explored in 2014 using mitochondrial DNA sequences. The results indicate 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 143.1 Mya. ...

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

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous (geochronology, geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic name) is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 143.1 ...

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...

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 Sucking lice (known scientifically as Anoplura) are a parvorder of around 550 species of lice. All sucking lice are blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals. They can cause localized skin irritations and are vectors of several blood-borne disea ...

that lives on large livestock like

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

s and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

. 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 most ...

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.

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

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 six 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'', '' Chalcosoma'', ''

Titanus Titanus (also called Titanus Distribuzione) is an Italian film production and distribution 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 Vi ...

'', '' Macrodontia'', and ''

Xixuthrus ''Xixuthrus'' is a small genus of long-horned beetles, found primarily on Pacific islands, including Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and contains some of the largest living insect species, the giant Fijian long-horned beetle ...

''. The longest is the

Hercules beetle The Hercules beetle (''Dynastes hercules'') is a species of Dynastinae, rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles. It is the List of largest insects#Beetles (Coleopter ...

, ''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 (whose larvae are often referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by Antenn ...

, '' 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

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 typica ...

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. The head is fairly flat and rounded. The

thorax The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of 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 di ...

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)

The largest of

ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...

s, and the heaviest species of the family, are the queens 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 Swahi ...

'', 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 Ant, Formicidae. 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 ant. ...

'', 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 the

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 198 ...

'', the females of which can be long, with a 6.3-cm (2.5-in) wingspan. The largest wingspan of any wasp (and of any

hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the 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 parasitic. Females typi ...

n) probably belongs to 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 some of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze ...

species '' Pepsis heros'', measuring up to in wingspan, although many other ''

Pepsis ''Pepsis'' (from Ancient Greek πέψι lit. ''pepsis'' meaning 'digestion, cooking') is a genus of spider wasps belonging to the family Spider wasp, Pompilidae. Species within this genus are also called tarantula hawks, as they usually hunt t ...

'' species approach a similar size and other species of wasp can probably attain greater weights. The heaviest wasp (and heaviest

n) is probably the giant scoliid wasp ''

Megascolia procer ''Megascolia procer'', the giant scoliid wasp, is a solitary wasp in the family Scoliidae found across Asia. It is one of the largest wasps in the world, with a wingspan of . Measurement scale on Figure 1. Description ''M. procer'' is a lar ...

'', it can reach a body length of over and have a wingspan of . The largest known social wasps are the queens of the

Asian giant hornet The Asian giant hornet (''Vespa mandarinia''), also known as the northern giant hornet, and the Japanese giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, mainland Southeast Asia, and par ...

(''Vespa mandarinia''). They can have a body length exceeding and a wingspan.

Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera)

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 . This birdwing is restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua ...

(''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 described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. The Atlas mo ...

''), a moth from Southeast Asia. Both of these species can reach a body 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 formal description of the species ...

'', has the widest recorded wingspan of the order, and indeed of any living insect, at up to . The verified record-sized ''

Thysania ''Thysania'' is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Johan Wilhelm Dalman in 1824. Species * '' Thysania agrippina'' ( Cramer, 1776) – white witch moth, ghost moth * '' Thysania pomponia'' Jordan Jord ...

'' spanned across the wings, although specimens have been reported to . The largest

lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

n species in terms of adult body mass is the giant wood moth '' Endoxyla cinereus'' from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. 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 Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the 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 m ...

, is endemic to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and northern

, 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)

The largest total length of any fly belongs to the largest species of

crane fly A crane fly is any member of the dipteran superfamily Tipuloidea, which contains the living families Cylindrotomidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae, as well as several extinct families. "Winter crane flies", members of the family T ...

: ''

Holorusia clavipes ''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 ...

''. If the legs are extended in front of and behind the body, then an overall length of makes it the longest true fly. It also probably has the largest wingspan of any

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 advance ...

at over . '' Gauromydas heros'' (which can reach a wingspan of and a body length of ) has the largest wing surface area of any

. It might also have the longest body length of any fly at (although it is rivaled by '' Microstylum magnum'' and '' Phellus piliferus'' for this title). The heaviest flies are the timber flies from the genus '' Pantophthalmus'' (with '' Pantophthalmus bellardi'' being the largest species of this genus known). The largest members of ''

Asilidae The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking Insect mouthparts#Hypopharynx, hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects t ...

'' (''

Microstylum ''Microstylum'' is a genus of robber flies in the family Asilidae The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking Insect mou ...

'', ''

Phellus Phellus (, ; ) is the site of an ancient Lycian city, situated in a mountainous area near Çukurbağ in Antalya Province, Turkey. The city was mentioned by the Greek geographer and philosopher Strabo in his ''Geographica''. Antiphellus served ...

'' and '' Blepharotes'') are almost as bulky.

Booklice (Psocoptera)

The largest of this order of very small insects is the barklouse of the genus ''

Psocus ''Psocus'' is a genus of common barklice in the family Psocidae. There are about 17 described species in ''Psocus'' (the genus has been redefined more narrowly, after many unrelated species were described under its name). ''Psocus'' has been foun ...

'', the maximum size of which is about .

Fleas (Siphonaptera)

The largest species of

flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...

is ''

Hystrichopsylla schefferi ''Hystrichopsylla schefferi'', also known as the mountain beaver flea and giant mountain beaver flea, is a parasitic nearctic insect and a flea, belonging to the order Siphonaptera, the fleas. With an adult body length of as much as , it is the ...

''. This parasite, known exclusively from the fur of the

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

, can reach a length of .

Thrips (Thysanoptera)

Members of the genus '' Phasmothrips'' are the largest

thrips Thrips (Order (biology) , order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have species description , described approximately 7,700 species. They fly on ...

. 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.

References

{{Reflist Largest insects

Insects Insects (from Latin ') are 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 jointed ...