The longest insects are the stick insects, see below.
Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like orderMeganisoptera (also known as griffinflies) such as the CarboniferousMeganeura monyi and the PermianMeganeuropsis permiana are the largest insect species ever known. These creatures had a wingspan of some 71cm (28in). Their maximum body mass is uncertain, with estimates varying between 34 g[3] and 210 g.[4]
The largest insect of the order Palaeodictyoptera, Mazothairos enormis from the Carboniferous period, reached a wingspan of about 56 centimeters (22 in).[5]
Grasshoppers, crickets, and relatives (Orthoptera)
Arachnacris katydids and Tropidacris grasshoppers reach up to 12–15cm (4.7–5.9in) in length and 23–27.5cm (9.1–10.8in) in wingspan, making them the largest by these measurements.[6][7] The largest Saga and Pseudophyllus bush crickets are only a few centimeters smaller.[7]
The heaviest of this widespread, varied complex of insects is the Little Barrier Island giant weta, Deinacrida heteracantha, of New Zealand; one specimen weighed 71g (2.5oz) and measured nearly 10cm (3.9in),[2] giving it one of the largest insect weights ever known. These heavyweight insects can be over 9cm (3.5in) long.[8]
Related to modern orthopterans, Triassic insects of the extinct suborder of Titanoptera[9] surpassed them in size. The wingspan of Gigatitan vulgaris was as large as of 40 centimetres (16 in).[10]Clatrotitan andersoni also reached a huge size, having a forewing of 13.8 centimetres (5.4 in) long.[11]
The largest of the earwigs is the Saint Helena earwig (Labidura herculeana), which is up to 8.4cm (3.3in) in length. There are no recent records of this species and it is generally considered extinct.[12] The largest certainly living species is the Australian giant earwig (Titanolabis colossea), which is about 5cm (2.0in) long.[7]
Phobaeticus serratipes, one of the longest stick insectsDistributions of stick insect species known to exceed 50cm (20in) in total length
The longest known stick insects are also the longest known insects, notably species in the tribe Pharnaciini, 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.[14] The longest known is a currently undescribed species of Phryganistria, informally referred to as Phryganistria "chinensis", that was discovered in China in 2014.[15] A wild collected female kept at the Insect Museum of West China in Chengdu was the record holder with a total length, including extended legs, of 62.4cm (24.6in), and a body length of 36.1cm (14.2in),[16][17] but it was surpassed by one of its captive bred young that reached 64cm (25in) in total length.[18][19]
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 in London is 56.7cm (22.3in) in total length, including extended legs, and it has a body length of 35.7cm (14.1in).[20][21][22] Females of the Australian Ctenomorpha gargantua have been confirmed at up to 56.5cm (22.2in) in total length (including extended legs and cerci, the latter of which are unusually long in this species); one captive individual was measured at 61.5cm (24.2in), but that size remains unconfirmed.[23][24][25] Another very large species is Phobaeticus kirbyi where the total length (including extended legs) is up to 54.6cm (21.5in) and the body alone up to 32.8cm (12.9in).[26] Another of the longest insect in terms of total length is Phobaeticus serratipes of Malaysia and Singapore, measuring up to 55.5cm (21.9in) in total length.[27]
The spiny stick insect (Heteropteryx dilatata) of Southeast Asia does not reach the extreme lengths of its cousins, the body reaching up to 16cm (6.3in) long, but it is much bulkier. The largest Heteropteryx weighed about 65g (2.3oz) and was 3.5cm (1.4in) wide across the thickest part of the body.[8]
The largest cockroach in length and wingspan is the South American Megaloblatta longipennis, at up to 9.7cm (3.8in) and 18–20cm (7.1–7.9in), respectively.[6][28] Other contenders for longest are Blaberus giganteus, which is found in the same general region and may reach a length of up to 9 or 10cm (3.5 or 3.9in), depending on source,[29][30] and Princisia vanwaerebeki of Madagascar, which grows between 5.6 and 10 cm in length.[31] The heaviest is the Australian giant burrowing cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros), which can attain a length of 8.4cm (3.3in) and a weight of 33.5g (1.18oz).[6]
The largest of the termites is the African species Macrotermes bellicosus. The queen of this species can attain a length of 10.6cm (4.2in) and breadth of 5.5cm (2.2in); other adults, however, are about a third of this size.
Mantises of the tribe Hierodulini (of which Rhombodera fratricida is the largest formally described by science) can reach lengths of nearly 13cm (5.1in) and are more robust than comparably sized mantises of other genera (Tenodera, Macromantis, Idolomantis, Sphodromantis, Deroplatys, Plistospilota and Stagmatoptera). Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, small fish and even small snakes.
The heaviest species of this order are the giant water bugsLethocerus grandis and Lethocerus maximus.[32] These can surpass a length of 12cm (4.7in),[33] although they are more slender and less heavy than most other insects of this size (principally the huge beetles).
The largest wingspan of any hemipteran belongs to the largest species of cicada: Megapomponia imperatoria, which has a head-body length of about 7cm (2.8in) and a wingspan of 18–20cm (7–8in).[34][35] The cicadas of the genus Tacua can also grow to comparably large sizes.
Megaloptera includes dobsonflies, alderflies and relatives. The largest is the dobsonfly Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi, which can have a wingspan of up to 21.6cm (8.5in), making it the largest aquatic insect in the world by this measurement.[38] This species is native to China and Vietnam, and its body can be up to 10.5cm (4.1in) long.[39]
These flying insects reach their largest size in Palparellus voeltzkowi, which can have a wingspan over 16cm (6.3in).[40] The largest lacewing is the Australian "blue eyes lacewing" (Nymphes myrmeleonides), which can measure up to 4cm (1.6in) in length and span 11cm (4.3in) across the wings.[41] Some forms of this ancient order could grow extremely large during the Jurassic period and may have ranked among the largest insects ever.[42] Found in the Early Cretaceoussedimentary rocks, Makarkinia adamsi had wings nearly 140–160mm (5.5–6.3in) in length.[43]
These parasitic insects are typically modest in size. The largest known species is the hog louse, Haematopinus suis, a sucking louse that lives on large livestock like pigs and cattle. It can range up to 6mm (0.24in) in length.[44]
The largest species of stonefly is Pteronarcys californica of western North America, a species favored by fishermen as lures. This species can attain a length of 5cm (2.0in) and a wingspan of over 8cm (3.1in).[45]
Beetles 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, Megasoma, Chalcosoma, Titanus, Macrodontia, and Xixuthrus. The longest is the Hercules beetle, Dynastes hercules, with a maximum overall length of at least 18.1cm (7.1in) including the very long pronotal horn. The longest overall beetle is a species of longhorn beetle, Batocera wallacei, from New Guinea, which can attain a length of 26.6cm (10.5in), about 19cm (7.5in) of which is comprised by the long antennae.[8]
The largest icebug species, Grylloblatta campodeiformis, 3cm (1.2in) long, excluding ovipositors 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 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.[46] Their antennae are long ~9mm (0.35in) and thread-like. In adults, the number of antennal subsegments is variable, ranging from 24 to 27.[47]
The largest of ants, and the heaviest species of the family, are the queens of Dorylus helvolus, reaching a length of 5cm (2.0in). The ant that averages the largest for the mean size of the whole colony is Dinoponera gigantea, averaging up to 3.3cm (1+1⁄4in). Another ant that is native to Australia, Myrmecia brevinoda, workers are reported to be 3.7cm (1.5in) on average and queens are more than 4cm (1.6in) in length.[8]
The largest of the bees is Megachile pluto, the females of which can be 3.8cm (1+1⁄2in) long, with a 6.3-cm (2.5-in) wingspan.
The largest wingspan of any wasp (and of any hymenopteran) probably belongs to the so-called tarantula hawk species Pepsis heros, measuring up to 12.2cm (4.8in) in wingspan, although many other Pepsis species approach a similar size and other species of wasp can probably attain greater weights.
The heaviest wasp (and heaviest hymenopteran) is probably the giant scoliid wasp Megascolia procer, it can reach a body length of over 7.7cm (3.0in) and have a wingspan of 11.6cm (4.6in).
The largest known social wasps are the queens of the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia). They can have a body length exceeding 6cm (2.4in) and a 9.3cm (3.7in) wingspan.[48]
The largest lepidopteran species overall is often claimed to be either the Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae), a butterfly from Papua New Guinea, or the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), a moth from Southeast Asia. Both of these species can reach a body length of 8cm (3.1in), a wingspan of 28cm (11in) and a weight of 12g (0.42oz). One Atlas moth allegedly had a wingspan of 30cm (12in) but this measurement was not verified.[8] The larvae in the previous species can weigh up to 58 and 54g (2.0 and 1.9oz), respectively.
However, the white witch of Central and South America, Thysania agrippina, has the widest recorded wingspan of the order, and indeed of any living insect, at up to 30cm (12in). The verified record-sized Thysania spanned 30.8cm (12.1in) across the wings, although specimens have been reported to 36cm (14in).[8]
The largest lepidopteran species in terms of adult body mass is the giant wood moth Endoxyla cinereus from Australia and New Zealand. Despite having a smaller wingspan than the other species, it has a mass of about 30g (1.1oz) and outweighs them all.
The Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules), in the family Saturniidae, is endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia, and its wings have the largest documented surface area (300 square centimeters) of any living insect,[49][50] and a maximum wingspan which is confirmed to 28cm (11in) while unconfirmed specimens have spanned up to 35.5cm (14.0in).
The largest total length of any fly belongs to the largest species of crane fly: Holorusia clavipes. If the legs are extended in front of and behind the body, then an overall length of 25.8cm (10.2in) makes it the longest true fly. It also probably has the largest wingspan of any Diptera at over 11cm (4.3in).
Gauromydas heros (which can reach a wingspan of 10cm (3.9in) and a body length of 7cm (2.8in)) has the largest wing surface area of any Diptera. It might also have the longest body length of any fly at 7cm (2.8in) (although it is rivaled by Microstylum magnum and Phellus piliferus for this title).
These insects, known to feed on human household objects, are up to 1.5cm (0.59in) in length.[53] The largest is the extinct Ramsdelepidion schusteri, which reached 6cm (2.4in) long.[4]
The blackpoll warbler is a New World warbler. Breeding males are mostly black and white. They have a prominent black cap, white cheeks, and white wing bars. The blackpoll breeds in forests of northern North America, from Alaska throughout most of Canada, to the Adirondack Mountains of New York as well as New England in the Northeastern United States. They are a common migrant throughout much of North America. In fall, they fly south to the Greater Antilles and the northeastern coasts of South America in a non-stop long-distance migration over open water, averaging 2,500 km (1,600 mi), one of the longest-distance non-stop overwater flights ever recorded for a migratory songbird. Rare vagrants to western Europe, they are one of the more frequent transatlantic passerine wanderers.
The goliath frog, otherwise known commonly as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. The Goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can reach up to about 35 centimetres (14 in) in snout–vent length and 3.3 kilograms (7.3 lb) in weight. This species has a relatively small habitat range in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Its numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction, collection for food, and the pet trade.
The green anaconda, also known as the giant anaconda, emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa, or southern green anaconda, is a semi-aquatic boa species found in South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the largest, heaviest, and second longest snake in the world, after the reticulated python. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all boas, it is a non-venomous constrictor. The term "anaconda" often refers to this species, though the term could also apply to other members of the genus Eunectes. Fossils of the snake date back to the Late Pleistocene in the Gruta do Urso locality.
Size is an important aspect of dinosaur paleontology, of interest to both the general public and professional scientists. Dinosaurs show some of the most extreme variations in size of any land animal group, ranging from tiny hummingbirds, which can weigh as little as two grams, to the extinct titanosaurs, such as Argentinosaurus and Bruhathkayosaurus which could weigh as much as 50–130 t.
The largest body part is either the largest given body part across all living and extinct organisms or the largest example of a body part within an existing species. The largest animals on the planet are not the only ones to have large body parts, with some smaller animals actually having one particularly enlarged area of the body.
The smallest organisms found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of organism size, including volume, mass, height, length, or genome size.
The purple needletail, or hagibas in Tagalog, is the largest swift found in the Old World. It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula (Sulawesi).
Cephalopods, which include squids and octopuses, vary enormously in size. The smallest are only about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long and weigh less than 1 gram (0.035 oz) at maturity, while the giant squid can exceed 10 metres (33 ft) in length and the colossal squid weighs close to half a tonne (1,100 lb), making them the largest living invertebrates. Living species range in mass more than three-billion-fold, or across nine orders of magnitude, from the lightest hatchlings to the heaviest adults. Certain cephalopod species are also noted for having individual body parts of exceptional size.
The western mastiff bat, also known as the western bonneted bat, the greater mastiff bat, or the greater bonneted bat, is a member of the free-tailed bat family, Molossidae. It is found in the Western United States, Mexico and South America. This species is the largest bat native to North America, and some of its distinguishing characteristics are its large ears, wings, and forearms. The subspecies Eumops perotis californicus is a species of concern as identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The range of this subspecies is principally southwest desert regions of the United States, along the border with Mexico; however, the range extends as far north on the Pacific coast as Alameda County, California.
Pel's fishing owl is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae, found in Africa. It lives near rivers and lakes, and feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow-moving rivers with large, overhanging trees to roost in and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees. Though as many as two eggs are laid, often only one chick is raised.
This article lists the largest organisms for various types of life and mostly considers extant species, which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even genome size. Some organisms group together to form a superorganism, but such are not classed as single large organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching 2,000 km (1,200 mi) but contains many organisms of many types of species.
The largest prehistoric animals include both vertebrate and invertebrate species. Many of them are described below, along with their typical range of size. Many species mentioned might not actually be the largest representative of their clade due to the incompleteness of the fossil record and many of the sizes given are merely estimates since no complete specimen have been found. Their body mass, especially, is largely conjecture because soft tissue was rarely fossilized. Generally the size of extinct species was subject to energetic and biomechanical constraints.
The largest animal currently alive is the blue whale. The maximum recorded weight was 190 tonnes for a specimen measuring 27.6 metres (91 ft), whereas longer ones, up to 33 metres (108 ft), have been recorded but not weighed. It is estimated that this individual could have a mass of 250 tonnes or more. The longest non-colonial animal is the lion's mane jellyfish.
Phryganistria is a genus of stick insects belonging to the subfamily Clitumninae, native to northeastern South Asia, northern Mainland Southeast Asia, and southern China. The species in this genus range in size from fairly large to very large.
The giant hawker 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 Borneo. It is the type species for the genus Tetracanthagyna.
References
↑ Zhang Z-Q, ed. (2011) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-Level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness. Auckland, N. Z.: Magnolia Press
↑ Kukalová-Peck, Jarmila; Richardson, Eugene S. (1983). "New Homoiopteridae (Insecta: Paleodictyoptera) with wing articulation from Upper Carboniferous strata of Mazon Creek, Illinois". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 61 (7): 1670–1687. doi:10.1139/z83-218.
↑ P.J., Perez-Goodwyn (2006). "Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A (Biologie). 695: 1–71.
↑ Haddad, V.; Schwartz; Schwartz; Carvalho (2010). "Bites Caused by Giant Water Bugs Belonging to Belostomatidae Family (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) in Humans: A Report of Seven Cases". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 21 (2): 130–133. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2010.01.002. PMID20591375.
↑ Burton, Maurice; Burton, Robert (2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia. 4, Chickaree – crabs (3rd ed.). Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. p. 455. ISBN0-7614-7270-3
↑ Xing Yue Liu; Ding Yang; Si Qin Ge; Xing Ke Yang (2005). "Phylogenetic review of the Chinese species of Acanthacorydalis (Megaloptera, Corydalidae)". Zoologica Scripta. 34 (4): 373–387. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00197.x. S2CID84988447.
↑ Bechly, G.; Makarkin, V. N. (2016). "A new gigantic lacewing species (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil confirms the occurrence of Kalligrammatidae in the Americas". Cretaceous Research. 58: 135–140. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.014.
↑ Engel, Michael S. (2005). "Zoraptera". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
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