We are in a constant battle to keep the bugs in the garden out of our homes. These bugs will make you triple your efforts. Scattered all across the globe, these insects are the largest, heaviest, or longest of their kind, with gloriously massive wings or even terrifying 1-inch stingers that we can only hope we never run into. These 24 insects are truly fascinating specimens of the animal kingdom.
I. Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera)
1. Ornithoptera alexandrae
(By MP, Wikimedia Commons)
This butterfly is known as Queen Alexandra's birdwing. it is the largest butterfly in the world, and can grow between 6 cm (3.1 in) and 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, with a wingspan ranging from 20 cm (8 in) to 25 cm (9.8 in). It is an endangered species indigenous to the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea
2. Attacus Atlas
(By Maghdp, Wikimedia Commons)
This species is called the Atlas Moth and is one of the largest moths in the world with a wingspan measuring 25 cm (9.8 in) to 30 cm (11.8 in). It is found across South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
3. Thysania Agrippina
(By Acrocynus, Wikimedia Commons)
This moth goes by the name White witch moth, as well as mariposa emperador, ghost moth, great grey witch, and great owlet moth. It currently holds the world record for largest wingspan at 30 cm (12 in) and is found from Uruguay to Mexico and parts of Texas.
II. Beetles (Coleoptera)
4. Goliathus goliatus
(By Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons)
It is the largest species of Goliath scarab beetles, growing from 5 cm (2 in) to 11 cm (4.3 in). You can find it across western to eastern equatorial Africa.
5. Goliathus albosignatus
(By E. Smith, Wikimedia Commons)
This beetle grows up to 4 cm (1.6 in) to 7 cm (2.8 in) and is found in Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
6. Goliathus regius
(By Hectonichus, Wikimedia Commons)
This black and white beauty is called the Royal Goliath beetle and grows between 5 cm (2 in) and 11 cm (4.3 in). It can be found in western equatorial Africa, in countries such as Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.
7. Goliathus cacicus
Also known as Chief Goliath, this beetle measures from 5 cm (2 in) to 10 cm (3.9 in). It is found in the same African countries as the Royal Goliath Beetle.
8. Goliathus orientalis
(By Goliathus, Wikimedia Commons)
This gargantuan beetle grows around 5 cm (2 in) to 10 cm (3.9 in). It can be found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Tanzania.
III. Cockroaches (Blattodea)
9. Megaloblatta
(By Qualiesin, Wikimedia Commons)
This creepy crawler grows to 9.7 cm (3.8 in) in length and has an 8-inch wingspan and is most commonly found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Peru.
10. Blaberus giganteus
(By Hectonichus, Wikimedia Commons)
This chameleon of a cockroach grows between 7.5 cm (3.0 in) to 9 cm (3.5 in). It can be found scattered across the western hemisphere, in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, more specifically in the Rain forests of Central America and the northern part of South America.
11. Macropanesthia rhinoceros
(By Mark Pellegrini (Raul654) , Wikimedia Commons)
This creature is known as the giant burrowing cockroach, the rhinoceros cockroach, and litterbug. It is the heaviest species of cockroach, weighing up to 35 g, and measuring up to 8 cm (3.1 in) in length. This cockroach is found in Australia and tropical parts of Queensland.
IV. Praying mantises (Mantodea)
12. Rhombodera basalis
(By Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, Wikimedia Commons)
This species of praying mantis can grow up to 12 cm (4.7 in), making it one of the largest. You'll find this mantis in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Borneo.
V. True Flies (Diptera)
13. Gauromydas heros
(By Biologoandre, Wikimedia Commons)
Here's a species of giant fly that measures 3.2 cm (1.3 in) to 7 cm (2.8 in), with a 10 cm (3.9 in) wingspan. Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay are where you will find this fat fly.
VI. True bugs (Hemiptera)
14. Lethocerus americanus
(By The High Fin Sperm Whale, Wikimedia Commons)
It is commonly known as the Giant Water Bug, growing up to 6 cm (2.4 in). It is native to southern Canada and the United States.
VII. Stoneflies (Plecoptera)
15. Pteronarcys californica
(By Walter Siegmund, Wikimedia Commons)
This species, also known as the giant salmonfly, grows to approximately 5 cm (2 in) in length. It is indigenous to a large stretch of Western North America, from British Columbia to California.
VIII. Ants, bees, and wasps (Hymenoptera)
16. Myrmecia brevinoda
(By Fritz Geller-Grimm, Wikimedia Commons)
The worker ant of this species measures up to 3.7 cm (1.5 in) in length, while the queen is usually 4 cm (1.6 in). These ants are found in eastern Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria, the eastern part of Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
17. Megachile pluto
(By Stavenn, Wikimedia Commons)
Known as Wallace's giant bee or raja ofu/rotu ofu (king/queen of the bees in Indonesia), it is an Indonesian resin bee. It is the largest bee alive and measures between 2.3 cm (0.9 in) and 3.8 cm (1.5 in), with a wingspan of 6.3 cm (2.5 in).
18. Pepsis pulszkyi
(By Xpda, Wikimedia Commons)
This terrifying beauty is called the Tarantula Hawk Wasp because it preys on tarantulas. These wasps measure up to 6.8 cm (2.7 in) with a massive wingspan of 11.6 cm (4.5 in). They are found all over the world from India to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas, and are the official state insect of New Mexico.
19. Megascolia procer
(By Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons)
The Giant Scoliid Wasp is a solitary wasp and one of the largest in the world with a wingspan measuring 11.6 cm (4.5 in).
You can find this walloping wasp in the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java.
20. Vespa mandarinia
(By I, KENPEI, Wikimedia Commons)
Called the Asian Giant Hornet, this beast measures 4.5 cm (1.8 in) with a wingspan of 7.5 cm (3 in) and is found commonly in tropical Eastern Asia.
IX. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)
21. Megaloprepus caerulatus
(By Steven G. Johnson, Wikimedia Commons)
A damselfly from the Forest Giant family, it has the largest wingspan of any dragonfly or damselfly in the world, growing up to 19 cm (7.2 in). It roams the skies of Central and South America.
X. Termites (Isoptera)
22. Macrotermes bellicosus
(By ETF89, Wikimedia Commons)
The workers and soldier termites of this species are only about 3.6 cm (0.14 in) in length, but the queens measure up to 11 cm (4.2 in). It is commonly found in Africa and South-East Asia
XI. Grasshoppers, crickets, weta (Orthoptera)
23. Deinacrida fallai
(By Adrian Pingstone, Wikimedia Commons)
This grasshopper, Poor Knights giant weta, measures up to 7.3 cm (2.8 in) making it one of the largest in the world. It is named after the place it is endemic to, the Poor Knights Islands, off the coast of northern New Zealand.
XII. Stick insects (Phasmatodea)
24. Phobaeticus serratipes
(By Drägü, Wikimedia Commons)
This stick insect is one of the longest in the world and measures up to 55 cm (21.6 in). It is found in Malaysia and Singapore.
25. Phobaeticus kirbyi
(By Joseph Redtenbacher, Wikimedia Commons)
From end to end, this stick insect is about 54.6 cm (21.5 in) and is endemic to Borneo.
