The large family of bedbugs is surprising in its diversity. Among them there are predators, bloodsuckers, pests and completely harmless creatures. The body sizes of these creatures range from 0.3 mm to 15 cm. Insects have conquered all elements, including water. Water bugs such as smoothies and giant water bugs cannot be ignored. If giants live in tropical countries: India, Thailand, South America. The smoothie bug can be found in our reservoirs.
The name speaks for itself. The bug's body resembles a boat. The streamlined shape allows it to move quickly in the water. And the smooth surface makes this process easier. The insect has 3 pairs of legs. The last ones are the longest and most unusual - in the form of oars. Thanks to them, the smooth water bug calmly cuts through the water column and quickly reaches its intended goal. The appearance of the smooth water bug attracts the human eye more than repels it. Interesting coloring that is distributed in the correct geometric shape. Shades are present: yellow, green, light green, brown. And even pink. There are huge eyes on the head of the water bug.
Interestingly, smooth water bugs can make sounds that are similar to the chirping of grasshoppers. The insect quickly rubs its front legs along the proboscis and produces a kind of singing. This water bug swims in a special way. He turns over on his back and changes beyond recognition. This strange feature helps the insect remain undetected in the water by predators such as fish. Because the smooth body of a water bug with a color matching the color of the pond is difficult to notice from the depths. The smoothie spreads its legs to the side and moves smoothly, pushing off with its fins. From the height of a bird's flight, a water bug can be confused with a plant. Therefore, birds often ignore it. At the same time, the water smoothie calmly approaches the victim, which lives in top layer water and starts eating. However, they cannot stay in water for a long time. They periodically turn over and rise to the surface to inhale air. And at this very moment they risk being eaten.
In case of danger, the water bug acts like most of its relatives. He's just pretending to be dead. And when this does not help, the smoothie releases an odorous substance from unpleasant smell. In nature, such a signal is regarded as “beware, poisonous!”
The smoothie bug prefers closed reservoirs with standing water. But to see it, you don’t have to go to such places. The insect may end up in a puddle or a barrel of water. And in the evening you can find him in the veranda or on the terrace. Smooth water bugs fly well. But water bugs rarely do this. Mainly to move to more suitable bodies of water in search of food. They have a weakness - they love bright light. In the evening, the activity of smoothie bugs increases. Because many insects begin to crawl out of their shelters at this time. And switched on light bulbs and lanterns cannot be ignored. For those who camp near the pond for the night, an encounter with these creatures is guaranteed.
The smoothie bug is no different from other members of its family in terms of nutrition. The insect has a piercing-sucking mouthparts, and its saliva contains a nerve agent. However, like all representatives of this family. Water bugs first pierce the victim, then let in an antiseptic. Under the influence of unique saliva, all the insides quickly liquefy. The smoothie bug can calmly start eating and suck out all the insides.
The insect lays eggs, which it carefully hides at the bottom of the reservoir. They are located by water bugs on the lower part of plants. The eggs are light yellow in color. Gather into an even circle. On average, the larva matures in 2 weeks. If the water is warm, water bugs are born 2-3 days earlier. The appearance of the larvae changes throughout the summer. During this time, water bugs go through 4 molts. After each, they increase in size and change color. Leads the same lifestyle as an adult. They don't really stick together. Everyone hunts individually.
Gladysh can be called an exotic harmless creature. Man is not his goal. The insect bites extremely rarely. Mainly in cases where he feels danger. Curious and fearless children often suffer from them. When they pick up a bug, they risk getting a sting similar to a bee. The poison contained in saliva is not dangerous to humans. But the bite site will be felt for a long time. Gladysh can be called more useful than harmful. The tireless water bug eats hundreds of mosquito larvae per day. Regulates the number of others harmful insects. Gladysh never attacks people first. Don't touch him and he won't touch you!
Fortunately or unfortunately, there are no giant waterbugs in our area. Giant water bug is an alien tropical creature. Belongs to the genus Belostoma. Reaches a length of 15 cm. The color is brown with different tints. The terrifying appearance of an insect does not mean that it is dangerous to humans. Giant water bugs have 3 pairs of limbs. The front ones are bent in the form of claws. With them, the predator grabs the prey and pulls it towards itself.
Giant water bugs can be found in bodies of water with standing water. The Belostoma giant water bug prefers to hunt at night. Water bugs choose comfortable spot, and simply freeze. When the victim approaches, the giant bug quickly grabs it with its pincers. Belostoma's saliva contains a substance with a nerve-paralytic effect. The victim has no chance of surviving if the waterbug injection has already followed. Giant water bugs are interested in large insects, frogs, and small fish. The giant belostoma bug itself rarely becomes a victim.
This item requires special attention. Caring for future offspring is completely transferred to the strong back of giant water bugs - papas. The female Belostoma lays 3–4 eggs directly on the back of the male. He does this until there are about 100 pieces there. The back of giant water bugs can easily accommodate this amount. From now on, all responsibility is shifted to dad. The water bug carries them for 2 weeks. Periodically, the giant water bug rises to the surface and exposes its back to warm up. In this way, the larvae avoid the formation of mold and the accumulation of harmful microorganisms. In this form, belostoma resembles a hedgehog.
There is no need to fear for a person’s life or health when encountering this water bug. Belostoma does not hunt humans. In addition, for giant water bugs, it is preferable to quickly take refuge in a safe place. However, highly persistent and curious people run the risk of being bitten. Water bugs bite like a bee or wasp. There won't be any big consequences. There will just be redness and swelling. The sore spot will calm down after a week.
On the contrary, Belostoma is considered a very useful bug. Water bugs are the only creature that can calmly deal with pests such as three-keeled turtles. They pose a great danger to the younger generation of commercial fish.
In addition, giant harmless water bugs themselves suffer from human hands. Giant water bug is served fried in Thai restaurants. The demand for such exotic dishes is quite high. Therefore, in some lakes the giant bug remained in small quantity. And on farms they are trying to breed them.
A bedbug is not always harmful and dangerous to health. Reckless destruction of these creatures is strictly prohibited. Even if a wonderful dish is prepared from a bug. Everything in nature is interconnected! Perhaps in the era global warming such large creatures will appear in our ponds. You need to know how to meet them.
FAKE STATUS: active
APPEARANCE: autumn 2016 a, Mexico
Apparently, the citizens of our vast Motherland became bored and some, out of boredom, decided to scare the population and their loved ones and those far away with a new misfortune and dragged last year’s fake onto VKontakte, which somehow, apparently, did not gain much popularity (let’s give credit to the group admins - at the time of writing of this material this has already been deleted):
Let's look at where and when it came from:
In a standard manner "let everyone know, all the media are silent, almost everyone has died around the world and in our village" A message began to spread across Russian social networks " Attention! especially penetrated into Russia from India dangerous insect, unknown until recently! Don’t even think about killing it with your hands - as soon as you touch it, you will instantly be struck by a terrible virus for which there is no vaccine yet! Spread this message, take care of the children!"
Panic notes are accompanied by terrible, unbearable pictures:
We found it especially funny that in Mexico, in a number of cases, the RUSSIA TODAY channel was indicated as a source of information, and specifically its broadcast to South America:
As you can see from the picture above, the comment is clear - "Fake Deadly Insects in Mexico: Alarming news about deadly insects in Mexico is spreading across the web and on numerous sites.".
The photo on the right, which could easily pass for a scene from any horror movie or Photoshop user's imagination, has nothing to do with this article. This is the image that uses trypophobia, dislike for agglomerates of round objects, which we will talk about below.
The RT logo is also false; not a single material, article, or video with this name in the Spanish-language area of work can be found on the RT website.
The “new insect” is not new at all, but is well known to everyone - a male bug of the family Belostomatidae. The water bug, which is one of the largest insects, reaches a length of up to 10 centimeters. In this family, eggs laid by females stick to the male's body for protection. These bugs do not suck blood as described in the article, however, they can sting when they feel threatened. That is, this photo has nothing to do with the scare article at all, and appears to have been used to reinforce fear caused by the similarity of the image of the holes in the arm and the accumulation of eggs on the back of the male. Of course, everyone brought up with the knowledge that aliens strive to get into a person and lay eggs there immediately triggered unconscious and conscious fears and disgust, which led in some cases to a nervously accidental click on the “repost” button.
How this and in whose head it “came to India” is no longer clear. It is strange that it has not yet spread in the spring from Kazakhstan, where for some reason they prefer to spread fakes via WansUp:
Apparently, a classic phenomenon occurred - a certain insect of MICROSCOPIC (do you see a “microscopic insect” in the picture? It seems like experts recognized it as a bug, which, as written above, can reach 10 centimeters) in size was actually discovered in India. Next, someone stuck an illustration on it that has nothing to do with the situation.
Let's compare two texts and once again learn how to identify manipulative emotional generalized phrases:
possible primary text of the message, in which there are no scientific contradictions |
emotional text with distortions that should raise questions among critical thinkers (highlighted in red) |
|
Scientists have discovered a new species of poisonous insects that can kill humans. Researchers have discovered a new species of poisonous insects in India. A small beetle has unusual property, upon contact, it releases poison, which contains deadly components. The poison quickly penetrates human skin and can be fatal. Scientists note that the insect is very small, so it can be accidentally touched or even crushed. The consequences of such contact can be sad. In case of poisoning, death occurs in just a few hours. |
So far this terrible insect has been spotted only in India, however no one knows where it suddenly came from here, and therefore it is possible that this is another creation of our “valiant scientists” in their terrible laboratories. And if so, then this “monster” can be found anywhere. This little bug kills all living things, including humans, and much more insidious than all poisonous spiders, scorpions, and so on. It is enough for its “poison” to get on the skin, and it almost instantly seeps into the body and begins its destructive work there. This not even really poison, but some kind of deadly virus that literally destroys the human body in a few minutes. In India they are already sounding the alarm, since the insect brings real horror to the inhabitants of this country: after all, it is small and almost invisible, it is easy to step on it barefoot, or slap it with your bare hand out of habit. And this is enough to soon... die in terrible agony. So anyone who is used to crushing insects with their bare hands and who loves to walk barefoot can be advised (for now only in India, but who knows how it will turn out?) to reconsider their attitude towards poisonous insects: on our blue planet life is getting scarier and scarier. And Mother Nature herself is not to blame for this. |
But what do we see in the scary pictures?
and here's what:
What is it?
If you feel disgust and fear at the sight of a honeycomb or a mushroom sponge, you have trypophobia. Although, in fact, not everything is so simple. Let's figure it out.
The term trypophobia, or fear of cluster holes, comes from the Greek trypa, or hole. Fear occurs in people suffering from this condition the moment they see something covered with small holes arranged in an asymmetrical pattern.
It is characteristic that a person suffering from a phobia feels a number of unpleasant symptoms when he sees holes in cheese, a washcloth, enlarged pores on the face, honeycombs and even a bar of aerated chocolate!
All objects that have numerous cluster holes in their structure, represent a huge discomfort for trypophobes.
Trypophobes are afraid of:
It is noteworthy that trypophobes are not afraid of absolutely all objects that have cluster holes. Thus, a person suffering from a phobia may be afraid of a washcloth, but react completely calmly to holes in cheese or bread.
Experts say that this feature is due to the fact that trypophobes are only afraid of those things and objects from which danger is expected, which is directly related to certain causes of fear.
If, at the sight of multiple holes and openings, you you experience the following sensations, then you are one of the 10% of the world's inhabitants who suffer from trypophobia:
- itchy skin
- goosebump sensation
- feeling of disgust
- disgust
- panic
- fear that someone lives in the holes
- increased sweating
- allergic reactions on the skin
- difficulty breathing
- pallor
- dizziness
- nausea
One of the psychologists named Jeff Cole He diagnosed himself with trypophobia and began intensive study of it. The scientist came to the conclusion that this fear is based on a variant of animal atavism and biological disgust - the fear that someone may live in the holes and pose a certain danger. After all, numerous holes and spots are certainly present on the body of the most poisonous creatures on the planet and in their habitats. Our ancestors, as the scientist explains, identified danger by these signs, and subconscious fear stopped them from taking the fatal step
Many psychologists have suggested that, as such, the fear of multiple holes every person has. According to them, some people show this fear, while others may not even be aware of it.
In addition, the stories of many people experiencing trypophobia lead researchers to believe that all fears come from childhood
Thus, one of the respondents said that as a child he was stung by a bee and his skin was so swollen that he could see every pore, and another told how his parents were killed with a knife, the handle of which had cluster holes
Trypophobia on the skin: hello, photoshop
Many people, due to their ignorance, believe that trypophobia is a skin disease that involves the formation of various holes on the human body. In fact, this is a mental disorder is not a disease and formations on the body do not appear due to the phobia.
Really, “trypophobia in pictures” dates back to 2005 . The growth of the disease was facilitated by the rapid development of digital photography, when everyone had the opportunity to take large photo orange or coral peel. Plus, the rapid development of various 3D technologies added fuel to the fire, you can find out more about them on the website. Today you don’t have to be a professional photographer or artist to quickly and easily create an image that evokes in many people trypophobic horror.
Especially popular among those who want to be scared are colorful photos of human skin covered with trypophobic patterns. It might look something like this.
Such images evoke unpleasant emotions in 30% of people. But it would be incorrect to say that all these people suffer from trypophobia. After all, images are really dangerous. Imagine that you meet a person on the street who is actually covered with holes like this. Most likely he is very seriously ill and contagious. And it carries danger. And therefore, the fear caused by such hypothetical individuals in others is not of any morbid nature.
However, 16-18% of people are driven into trypophobic horror not by photoshopped pictures of people’s skin, but by normal macro images of objects of living and inanimate nature.
So what scares us so much about humanity's past? Here's what:
We also thought that “it would be better if we didn’t see something here.”
Well, citizens also comment:
PLEASE USE YOUR HEAD, DO NOT REACH FOR THE KEYBOARD AND MOUSE WITHOUT TURNING YOUR HEAD ON AND DO NOT FORGET THAT A SIGN OF A STANDARD FAKE IS EMOTIONAL CALLS “TELL EVERYONE! WARN EVERYONE! SAVE-HELP! AND MANY, MANY EXCLAMATORIES SIGNS".
Do you know all your neighbors? Sure? Some of them are so small that you simply can’t see them. Insects live in almost every home. This is a fact: even if you don’t see them, this almost always means that the “roommates” are simply hiding very successfully. In some cases, insects in an apartment are absolutely harmless, but some of their species pose a serious danger not only to food and things, but also to the person himself. In general, get acquainted!
For thousands of years, people have sought shelter, starting with the first cave, then building shelters from tree branches and leaves, and making tents from animal skins. As time passed and additional tools were developed, humanity began to build houses from strong wood and stone, and houses appeared. And always, from the very first home, various insects lived next to a person. Today we see in them uninvited guests, and we prefer to live without them. But if you think about it, they were before us, and they will be after us. For your consideration, here is a list of 15 small creatures with whom you may share your home. They are also called synanthropes (non-domesticated plants and microorganisms whose lifestyle is associated with humans and their homes, for example, cockroaches, house flies, house mice, bed bugs).
Spiders are probably one of the most common creatures with which we share our homes, and some of these arachnids will appear on this list more than once. There is a great variety of spiders in nature, more than 45,000 various types. Overall, modern spiders have spread throughout the world over the past 200 million years, which is largely responsible for their wide distribution and diversity. The spider does not do anything bad in the house, sometimes it even does good - it catches flies. Our ancestors had a huge number of signs associated with spiders, mostly positive. They say spiders are harbingers of good things to come. But, probably, if you trust signs too much, you will be completely covered in cobwebs.
Just like spiders, beetles are very ancient and well-adapted creatures for survival. There are more than 40,000 species of ground beetles alone in the world, and these insects come to our homes uninvited. The most common is the bread ground beetle. They usually cause damage to crops in fields, but are increasingly found in ordinary apartments. The bread ground beetle crawls into the apartment only if it likes the living conditions. As soon as the insect gets into the house, when darkness falls, it goes to look for food (crumbs, food left on the table, cereals). Ground beetles interfere with sleep, rustle, fall from the ceiling onto the bed or directly onto you. And if they have found food, then the next step will be their reproduction. So, if a ground beetle appears in the house, you need to take immediate action.
The wise cricket who gave advice to Pinocchio probably looked something different. And ordinary crickets are creepy insects, sometimes of enormous size. A folk sign says that if there is a cricket in the house, then this is a sign of happiness and prosperity. But people who have been visited by this “happiness” in large numbers do not share this point of view and are looking for ways to get rid of them. About 2.3 thousand species of these insects are known in the world, of which only about 50 are found in Russia. Most of them live in subtropical and tropical countries. Our most famous species are the field cricket and the house cricket. The house cricket in the southern part of the country lives both in apartments and in nature. In the central and northern regions, he lives only in houses near people, and gives preference to the old warm rooms With high humidity. These insects live and breed well in warm basements flooded with water. Sometimes crickets can spoil food and even things in the apartment, just like moths. Therefore, although popular wisdom advises against offending them, it is better to remove the crickets. Unless, of course, you like the “night concerts” that crickets usually organize.
Scientists have found more than 1,000 different species of house mites, and they all cause great harm person, all year round. Any carpet or carpet perfectly collects dust, it accumulates in its fibers and even daily cleaning will not give a positive result - dust and mites will still remain there. Ticks, unlike most insects on this list, are very harmful to humans. The ticks themselves are capable of leaving behind their waste products in the form of feces, which contain digestive enzymes, they destroy the cells of the human body and can cause severe allergies and asthma. The damage caused by carpet mites is not limited to allergies: conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, atypical dermatitis and others can develop. It's easy to deal with them - throw out all the carpets and upholstered furniture, Once and for all!
The main harm is that they squeak and interfere with sleep! Thank God, humanity has invented many ways to get rid of mosquitoes. Mosquito net, repellents and fumigators are a whole industry. Place fresh branches of elderberry, bird cherry, Caucasian chamomile or basil in the rooms, and place a container with tomato seedlings or geranium in a pot under the windows and on the balcony. Mosquitoes do not like the smell of these plants, so they will want to leave your home as soon as possible. According to folk signs, these small, disgustingly buzzing bloodsuckers - mosquitoes - are capable of bringing not only absolute harm, but also useful by predicting the weather and future events. Clouds of mosquitoes mean good weather tomorrow. Painful mosquito bites and a particularly active buzzing of bloodsuckers - foretells imminent bad weather and night rain.
As mentioned earlier, this list will feature more than one species of spider. Spiders of this species catch prey by spraying a liquid onto it, which neutralizes it by solidifying into a toxic and sticky mass upon contact. You can observe the habit of spiders swaying from side to side. They do this to wrap up their prey. Most spiders are only capable of producing silk, but Scytodes spitting spiders are an exception. Together with the silk, they release poison from their mouths, and silk strands soaked in the toxin, falling on the spider’s victim, bind it. These spiders are not dangerous to humans, do not weave large trap webs, and are unremarkable in appearance. But they still have one peculiarity - during the hunt they “spit” their prey. This may sound a little harsh, but it's accurate. This is why they got their name “spits”. Spitting spiders live in both warm tropical and temperate regions, including Russia - in human homes, where it is warm.
Moths inhabit houses and are a household pest, whose caterpillars spoil fabrics by eating them and gnaw the silk upholstery of furniture. Only caterpillars cause damage to products, because adults lack gnawing type mouthparts. In the dark at night, adult moths fly towards an artificial light source. According to some data, house moth caterpillars also feed on substances of plant origin, namely grains of wheat, barley, oats, corn, flour and dry bread. House moths are widespread worldwide, this type Lepidoptera is a serious pest in human homes. They feed on clothing, carpets, blankets and upholstery, as well as fur, wool, feathers and miscellaneous items such as animal bristles used to make toothbrushes and piano fibers.
Generally speaking, woodlice are not insects (they are crustaceans), but they lead approximately the same lifestyle as cockroaches. When threatened, they curl up, simulating death.
In most cases, wood lice appear only in those apartments where it is constantly damp, for example, water leaks from pipes. These insects are excellent indicators of various plumbing breakdowns and depressurization of flanges. The appearance of woodlice in an apartment, first of all, should worry lovers of indoor flowers, because if measures are not taken in time and they are not removed, the plants will soon die. First of all, these insects harm moisture-loving tropical plants that have a thin and delicate root system (orchid, fern, cactus), affecting it specifically, so if you have just such plants, then you should fight more actively.
IN different time years and in different regions countries in an apartment, and even more so in a private house, you can often find representatives of various types of ants. Very often, ants in an apartment are random guests, carried on clothes or with things. Among them there are insects of different sizes and colors. However, the only real pest in the apartment is the so-called pharaoh ant - independent species heat-loving small ants, which in our latitudes cannot live anywhere other than residential heated premises. These red ants in the apartment are a real problem: they are numerous, they spoil food, they can carry pathogens of various diseases, and besides, they are very difficult to remove.
One colony of house ants can contain several dozen queens and up to 350 thousand workers. The reasons why red ants appear in an apartment, although not numerous, can be found in almost any home. That is why small red ants are successfully conquering more and more areas and with high probability can appear in any apartment, even the cleanest one.
You may have once seen them in the bathroom or toilet if you went there in the middle of the night (when the light is turned on, they quickly run away). Those thin, silvery, small things on the floor? Do you remember? They are called silverfish. Like most of the other creatures on this list, silverfish pose no real harm to us and they don't bite. Cases of contact did not reveal any negative impact on human health. They feed on products of plant origin containing starch or polysaccharides; but they may not eat anything for months. Their diet may include sugar, flour, glue, book binding, paper, photographs, starchy fabrics. From storage areas can be brought into the house through purchase toilet paper or cardboards with paper napkins. They are harmless to humans and pets and are not carriers of diseases, but can damage damp paper.
Their scientific name is “common silverfish” (Latin: Lepisma saccharina). It is believed that the silverfish is one of the most ancient living insects - its ancestors lived on Earth more than 300 million years ago, back in the Paleozoic era. Silverfish prefer damp and dark places; if the house is dry and light, then there will be no silverfish there.
The remains of cockroaches are, along with the remains of cockroaches, the most numerous traces of insects in Paleozoic deposits. Additionally, cockroaches are the earliest known Polyneoptera, possibly descending from the ancestor of the entire subcohort. They have always been and will be on Earth. There are more than 4,600 known species of cockroaches; are especially numerous in the tropics and subtropics. In the territory former USSR- 55 types. IN last years There are popular reports about a decrease in the number of certain species of cockroaches in the CIS (they say they have completely left apartments in St. Petersburg and some other cities - no one was upset, but the reasons are interesting).
A number of cockroaches live in human dwellings, being synanthropes, for example, the red cockroach (Prusak), or the black cockroach. Others are brought with tropical products to temperate countries and sometimes take root in heated rooms (American cockroach). Cockroaches can cause damage food products, leather goods, book bindings, indoor and greenhouse plants. Some cockroaches, feeding on various waste, including feces, are carriers of infectious diseases (for example, dysentery) and worm eggs.
Hay-making spiders that build trapping webs are ubiquitous. Hanging upside down on their jumbled, tangled, uneven web. Webs are built in dark, damp niches of caves, trees and under stones, in lairs abandoned by mammals, for example, in cellars and various buildings. In human homes, they love dry and warm places near windows. How dangerous are harvest spiders to humans? Suffice it to say that they spend the poison they have exclusively on their victims, inflicting a paralyzing bite on them. He is not enough for anything more. The main reason for declaring war on arachnids is arachnophobia. Some people cannot even stand them visually; for others, a creature that gets on their body causes panic. The problem is so serious that psychologists are working on it.
The common flycatcher, also known as the house centipede, is often found in private houses and cottages, and is also found in apartments. Due to its significant size, repulsive appearance and high speed of movement, this insect, which suddenly appears in a house, often inspires horror in residents. But the house centipede is a peaceful and completely harmless insect. They usually appear in search of food from the street or from a neighboring apartment. If centipedes can find a constant source of food in the house, then there is a high probability of their appearance in this room. Centipedes are especially common in private homes, settling in basements, ground floors and underground floors, from where they go hunting, moving through all the rooms.
It's time to meet the largest, longest and heaviest insects on Earth. Naturally, the largest species lived in the prehistoric era, but even in modern world There are still some incredible bugs out there that will give anyone goosebumps. From the creepy giant weta to the more famous praying mantis, here is a list of the 25 largest insects in the world.
25. Protodonata or Meganisoptera
Meganisoptera is not only the largest dragonfly that has ever existed on our planet, but also the largest insect in the world. With a wingspan of up to 75 centimeters, this giant insect soared the skies from the Carboniferous era to the end of the Permian era (approximately 317 - 247 million years ago). Meganisoptera lived long before the appearance of pterosaurs, birds and bats, which means it had no equal in the sky.
24. Giant weta
Photo: Dinobass
The giant weta is a very large species of insect that lives primarily in New Zealand. An adult beetle can weigh 35 grams. Weta prefers to hide in fallen leaves and the bark of fallen trees, and rests mainly during the day. At night, the heavyweight leaves its shelter to move to other trees in search of food and more comfortable housing. Despite its impressive size, the giant weta lives only 6-9 months.
23. Lumberjack Titan
Photo: Bernard Dupont
Endemic to tropical forests South America, the titan lumberjack is the largest known beetle not only in the Amazon jungle, but also one of the most large species insects in the world. Titan grows up to 16.7 centimeters in length (according to unconfirmed reports - up to 22 centimeters), and distinctive feature This giant insect has impressive claws with which it can easily grab a pencil, for example. Rumor has it that the titan lumberjack can even tear apart human flesh with their pincers. The most interesting thing is that entomologists have not yet been able to detect its larvae, and naturalists so far can only assume that the beetle spends the beginning of its life inside trees.
22. Australian walking stick
Photo: Rosa Pineda
The Australian walking stick (Extatosoma tiaratum) is a huge herbivorous insect native to the tropical and temperate rainforests of Australia. These creatures are very similar to praying mantises, but entomologists distinguish them as two absolutely different types. Females are usually larger than males, reaching up to 20 centimeters in length and covered with spiny spines. In turn, males also have something to brag about - they have as many as 3 eyes, and they can fly, unlike females, who only have the rudiments of wings.
21. Moth satin
Photo: Quartl
This giant moth lives in tropical and sub- tropical forests South East Asia, and is considered one of the largest species of lepidopteran insects on the planet. The wingspan of the tropical moth is 25 centimeters, and the surface area of the wings of the atlas is 400 square centimeters, which is larger than that of any other insect in the world. Moreover, its life expectancy is only 5-7 days. People have found a rather practical use for this short-lived beauty - in India, the giant moth is bred to produce silk thread.
20. Rhinoceros cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) 
Photo: Mark Pellegrini (Raul654)
The giant rhinoceros cockroach (also known as the burrowing cockroach) lives in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia, and is the largest and heaviest cockroach in the world. An adult representative of this species grows up to 8 centimeters in length and can weigh up to 35 grams. The life expectancy of the burrowing cockroach is quite impressive - scientists have found individuals whose age has reached as much as 10 years. You may be surprised, but among amateur entomologists the giant rhinoceros cockroach is quite popular as a... pet.
19. Elephant beetle
Photo: sdbeazley / flickr
This insect prefers the humidity of tropical forests and lowlands of Central and South America (especially Mexico). The elephant beetle (or elephant megasoma) is a large insect, growing up to a length of up to 13 centimeters. Impressive in size, these creatures live only 1-3 months, prefer the night, feed on tree sap and tropical fruits.
18. Phobaeticus chani 
Photo: P.E. Bragg
Phobaeticus chani is a species of insect from the stick insect family, recognized as one of the longest in the world. Its more common name is Chan's stick insect, which this insect received in honor of its researcher Datuk Chen Zhaolun. A giant stick insect was discovered not long ago in the tropical forest of Borneo, where a Chinese naturalist had the opportunity to examine an individual of incredible length - 57 centimeters! The beetle variety Phobaeticus chani still remains not fully studied, since the insect lives on the most tall trees tropical forest, making it too secretive for observation and research.
17. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Photo: Robert Nash
It is amazing beautiful creature was discovered in the rainforests of Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea. Another name for this birdwing is also known - the Queen Alexandra Ornithopter, and it is recognized as the largest butterfly in the world. The wingspan of this giant creature reaches 30.5 centimeters, and it feeds mainly on the nectar of tropical flowers.
16. Giant water bug
Photo: Frank Vassen
The giant water bug (Belostomatidae) is also known as the “alligator flea” and is found primarily in freshwater bodies of water, lakes, streams and rivers in North and South America, northern Australia and East Asia. Aquatic bugs are fierce predators, and cases of these bugs have been known to attack not only fish and frogs, but also small snakes and even turtles. Killer bug? It sounds creepy, but another equally predatory insect awaits you ahead. Be patient until point 11 of our top...
15. Giant Atlas Beetle
Photo: JohnSka
The Atlas beetle (Chalcosoma atlas) got its name in honor of the ancient mythical deity who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Another name for this beetle is the Caucasian beetle, and representatives of this species are considered one of the largest on Earth. The atlas is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia. Male atlas can reach as much as 13 centimeters in length.
14. St. Helena Earwig
Photo: wikimedia
Here is the giant earwig Labidura herculeana, the largest representative of the Leatherwing order, which is also sometimes called the “Dodo of the earwig world” (the Dodo is a giant bird that became extinct in the 17th century AD) or the St. Helena earwig. History knows about the 8-centimeter Labidura herculeana, but the last time a living adult of this earwig was seen was in May 1967, and in 2014 scientists sadly announced that the Dodo of the earwig world had finally become extinct.
13. Goliath beetle
Photo: fir0002
Endemic to the tropical regions of Africa, goliath beetles are the most large insects in the world, both in adulthood and in the larval stage. It is believed that these beetles are the heaviest of all insects on Earth. Their larvae weigh up to 100 grams, and adults reach up to 12 centimeters in length.
12. Longhorned beetles or woodcutters
Photo: Hectonichus
The long-horned beetle in the photo is a giant species of beetle, easily recognized by its beautiful pattern on its back and enlarged jaws. There are other names for this insect - barbel, woodcutter, or scientifically Cerambycidae. The long-horned beetle lives in the tropical forests of South America, and despite its enormous size (more than 17 centimeters in length), this species of insect can even fly.
11. Tarantula Hawk
Photo: wikimedia
The tarantula is a large road wasp or pompilid that preys on tarantulas. The females of this species of insect paralyze the spider with a sting from their sting. On a successful hunt, these seemingly modest creatures are capable of defeating a tarantula, which is most often 8 times heavier than a road wasp. This difference in weight does not interfere with dragging the killed spider into a hole, where the female lays her larvae directly on the body of the prey. When new tarantulas are born, they initially feed on the tarantulas stored in the burrow.
10. Giant Scolia Wasp
Photo: Didier Descouens
9. Gauromydas heros 
Photo: Biologoandre
Gauromydas heros are the most big flies in the world. This species of dipterous insect grows up to 7 centimeters in length, and its wingspan reaches 10 centimeters, which is quite a lot for a fly. Gauromydas heros lives in southern Brazil and prefers to lay its larvae in anthills. Scientists have not fully studied the lifestyle of this species, but adult males presumably feed on flower nectar, females probably do not, and the larvae of these flies eat the larvae of leaf-cutter ants, in whose colonies they hide.
8. Macrotermes Bellicosus
Photo: ETF89
This termite lives in Africa and Southeast Asia. Macrotermes Bellicosus is the largest known representative of its infraorder. This insect was included in our list due to the fact that its uterus during the egg-laying period reaches approximately 11 centimeters in length. The sizes of other members of the colony are much more modest - worker termites grow up to 3-4 centimeters, and soldiers are not much larger. Macrotermes Bellicosus live by hunting and gathering, and the peak activity of this termite species occurs during the rainy season.
7. Hercules beetle
Photo: Anaxibia
The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) is one of the largest beetles in the world and lives primarily in the jungles of South America. Representatives of this genus are considered the largest and most famous of all rhinoceros beetles, close relatives of scarabs. Some males reach 17.5 centimeters, including monocorn length.
6. Thysania agrippina
Photo: Acrocynus
Thysania agrippina is a nocturnal moth, more commonly known by other names including the agrippina cutworm, agrippina cutworm, tysania agrippina, agrippina, night moth, and even the ghost moth. The moth agrippina is one of the largest flying insects, and its wingspan reaches almost 30 centimeters. The largest nocturnal one lives in Mexico, Central America and South America, and is also sometimes found in Texas.
5. Stag beetle (Lucanidae)
Photo: Trevor Harris / geograph.org.uk
The stag beetle or stag beetle, also sometimes known as the comb beetle, is an insect that is easily recognized due to its enormous size (about 12 centimeters in length) and impressive mandibles (lower jaws) that resemble tusks or horns. In appearance, the beetle looks very scary, but in fact it feeds on tree sap, and uses its lower jaws only in mating games or during fights with its own relatives. For people, this insect is usually completely harmless.
4. Giant Homoptera Dragonfly
Photo: Steven G. Johnson
The largest dragonfly living on our planet, the giant homoptera dragonfly is also scientifically known as Megaloprepus Caerulatus. The graceful insect is decorated with silver-blue stripes, as well as white and black spots. But don't be fooled by its beauty, this dragonfly is a dangerous predator. True, Megaloprepus Caerulatus poses the greatest threat only to spiders, which the homopterus catches directly from their cozy webs. The giant dragonfly lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America, and the largest wingspan of these insects is a whopping 19 centimeters!
3. Praying Mantis
Photo: Oliver Koemmerling
This insect is almost at the top of its food chain and feeds mainly on other members of its native class, although there is evidence that mantises sometimes attack small reptiles, small mammals and even birds! The largest mantis known to entomologists was discovered in southern China in 1929, and its length was as much as 18 centimeters.
2. Stick insect Zhao
Photo: Joachim Bresseel, Jérôme Constant
In 2014, a new species of insect was discovered in the southern province of Guangxi. It was the Zhao stick insect (Phryganistria Chinensis Zhao), whose dimensions reached as much as 62.4 centimeters. The giant was discovered by Chinese entomologist Zhao Li, and today it is the longest insect in the world. The stick insect was named after a Chinese researcher who hunted this incredible fastmatid for 6 years until he finally managed to catch one of these long-legged beauties.
1. Long-legged mosquitoes of the species Holorusia Brobdignagius
Photo: wikimedia
Long-legged mosquitoes or caramors are insects of the Diptera family of the long-whiskered suborder. Their favorite habitat is forests near fresh water bodies and swamps. Adults feed on plant nectar, while larvae feed on rotting plants. The largest representative of the Karamors, holorusia brobdignagius grows up to 23 centimeters in length if the limbs are extended behind and in front of its body. This size allows us to consider this Chinese centipede the longest of its kind.
Niramin - Mar 8th, 2016
Tenrecs (lat. Tenrecidae) or bristly hedgehogs are a large family of mammals (10 genera and 24 species), whose homeland is Madagascar. Several species can be found in Central and East Africa. People brought the common tenrec to the islands in the Indian Ocean - Seychelles (Mahe and Praslin), Reunion, Mauritius, Comoros.
These animals prefer places with dense vegetation and an abundance of foliage on the ground. They often settle near swamps and small bodies of water. They avoid dry areas.
The body length of an adult tenrec, depending on the species, reaches 4-40 cm, and the tail - 1-22 cm. It is covered with fur (from grayish to red-brown), coarse hair or spines. The muzzle is long, with small round eyes. Females and males of bristleback urchins look the same.
Adult tenrecs are loners and avoid social life. In search of food, animals can move far from their home - a hole dug in the ground or the hollow of a fallen tree. They are active at night.
Males and females only meet from October to December to mate. The offspring are born after about 65 days, and in one brood there are up to 20 hedgehogs - a record in the world of mammals. After 6 months they leave their mother, who raised them alone.
Tenrecs feed variedly. They eat insects, snails and worms, as well as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The menu also includes fresh leaves and fruits.
In Madagascar, these animals are very popular. They are valued as insect hunters and their meat is eaten. However, on Seychelles and Reunion, where they were introduced by people, they are considered pests that destroy the local ecosystem.
Photo: Common tenrec. 
Photo: Striped tenrec. 
Video: Chirping striped tenrec
Video: Tenrec family in Vallée de Mai/ Praslin island (Seychelles)
Video: Madagascar Hedgehog - Tenrec
