From massive Bird Eating Spiders, to the fearless Tarantula Hawk, the 10 Biggest Insect Photos Explained will leave no questions unanswered ! # 6 South American Goliath Bird Eater The Goliath Birdeater is a member of the Tarantula family and is often called the biggest spider in the world. This particular Goliath was found in a rainforest in Guyana. Wildlife photographer Piotr Naskrecki heard a rustling beneath his feet while walking through a rainforest, and instead of finding a small mammal like a rodent, he found the Goliath Bird Eater. The Goliath can weigh up to 6 ounces and have a leg span of up to 12 inches! This arachnid certainly seems big enough to eat a bird, but it usually doesn’t eat them. They are definitely capable of killing small mammals, though. # 5 Giant Beetle / Goliath Larva The Goliath Beetle is a contender for one of the heaviest bugs in the world. An Adult Goliath Beetle can weigh up to 50 grams (1.8 ounces) on average and look impressively large. Surprisingly, they are actually even heavier in their larval state. The Goliath Larva maintains its adult length of around 4 inches, but it weighs almost twice as much. As a larva it can be anywhere between 80-100 grams (2.4-3.4 ounces). As a larva the Goliath is much more voracious and eats almost indiscriminately. Professional breeders actually recommend feeding Goliath Larva portions of dog and cat food because they crave so much protein. # 4 Atlas Moth The Atlas Moth is very common across Malaysia. They are bird sized bugs with 62 square inch wings that span 1 foot across and are 1 inch thick. When measured by wing surface area, they are the largest moth in the world. Despite their widespread existence in the Malay archipelago, they are truly strange little bugs. The moth once emerged from its cocoon, does not have a mouth. How does it eat? It doesn’t! An adult Atlas Moth uses the fat stored up from its time spent as a larva to last the rest of its short life. Their cocoons are also spun from durable silk. In Taiwan they actually unravel moth cocoons and use them in a variety of products, including purses. Some cocoons are actually in tact enough that a zipper can be installed directly onto it and it can be used as a purse immediately! # 3 Titan Beetles Titan Beetles are one of the longest beetles in the world. They have an average length of about 6 inches and weigh around 40 grams. They are native to the rainforests in South America and rarely venture out for people to see. Because of their reclusiveness, their life style and habits are not really understood by humans. We can guess that they live inside the wood of trees. After they pupate and leave their larval stage they stop eating and begin to slowly die. Their main goal in their adult stage is just to procreate above all other things. Apparently Titan larva have never been found or seen before, but we can guess from the holes bored into wood that Titan larvae are about 2 inches wide and about a foot long. # 2 Giant Dobsonfly The Giant Dobsonfly is an insect native to Asia and can be found in Southern China, parts of India and Northern Vietnam. Although they are big, these specific specimens are some of the biggest aquatic insects ever discovered. The previous world record holder for largest wingspan of an aquatic insect belonged to South American damselfly with a 7.5 inch wingspan. These dobsonflies were measured to have 8.27 inch wingspans and were big enough to obscure an adult’s entire face. The Giant Dobsonfly makes its home in clean bodies of water, but with pollution running rampant in China, they are migrating to places within the country they usually do not exist in such as the Szechuan province. It is also hypothesized that pollution might be playing a role in the increased size of these specific dobsonflies. # 1 Giant Stick Bug Stick Bugs are some of Mother Nature’s strangest creations. Their natural camouflage makes them look like an animated bundle of sticks walking around and climbing on trees. The biggest stick insect discovered was found in December 2014 in Vietnam. This specimen was 21 inches, nearly 2 whole feet long with its legs completely outstretched! Despite their completely unsettling alien appearance and size they are actually completely harmless to us. However, if you are a little on the prudish side you might not want to interact with them. They’re infamous for engaging in, er, procreation with their partners for up to 30 days at a time. Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u Let's Connect -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ -- http://www.facebook.com/epicadamwildlife -- http://www.twitter.com/epicwildlife -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife

• published: 20 Jun 2016
• views: 24699