How Big Did You Say That Arthropod Was?

Here are some of the largest Anthropods roaming the Earth today according to the internet

1. giant stick bugs can reach 2 feet long (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea)

2. Giant weta, 4 inches long and weighing in at 2.5 ounces, the heaviest insect in the world (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_wētā)

3. Goliath Beetle can grow over 4 inches long and 3.5 ounces (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliathus)

4. Atlas Moths are bird sized insects. They have a wingspan of 1 foot in length. The cocoons of Atlas moths are so large they are used as purses in Taiwan. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacus_atlas)

5. Tarantula Hawk are wasps that are so large they feed on tarantulas. They are 2 inches long with a stinger that is 9/32 inches and can deliver one of the most painful insect stings in the world. Luckily, they are docile unless disturbed. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk)

6. Giant Burrowing Cockroach, also called the rhinoceros cockroach can grow over 3 inches long. They can live up to 10 years and make good pets. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_burrowing_cockroach)

7. Titan beetle is one of the largest beetles in the world reaching lengths of 6.6 inches long. Know for their short, curved and sharp mandibles that can snap pencils in half and cut into human flesh. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_beetle)

8. Giant water bugs, also know as toe-biters and alligator ticks can reach lengths of 4.5 inches. They get their name because they are known for their powerful bite. In Thailand they are considered good eating, and black lights, which draws in the insects, are used to harvest them. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belostomatidae)

9. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world. It has a wingspan of over 1 foot. It was discovered in 1906 and the first specimens were collected using shotguns. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Alexandra%27s_birdwing)

10. Actaeon Beetle, another giant beetle, can grow to lengths of >5 inches and 1.5 inches thick. It has thick armor and almost no natural predators. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaeon_beetle)

11. Brazilian salmon pink bird eating tarantula have a leg span of 11 inches, and the largest spider in terms of leg span (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasiodora_parahybana

12. Goliath bird eater, also in the tarantula family and is the largest spider by mass (6.2 ounces) and up to 5.1 inches in length. Bird-eating derives from an early copper engraving that shows it eating a hummingbird, but they rarely prey on birds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_birdeater)

13. Heterometrus swammerdami and the African Imperial Scorpion (both scorpions) have a length up to 11.5 and 9 inches respectively. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterometrus_swammerdami) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_scorpion

14. Archispirostreptus gigas and Scaphistostreptus seychellarum (Millipedes) can reach sizes exceeding 11 inches. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archispirostreptus_gigas) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirostreptus)

15. Horseshoe crabs can grow to 24 inches. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_crab)

16. Coconut Crab are the biggest Anthropod living on land. They can grow up to 3 feet and 9 pounds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_crab)

17. The Japanese spider crab is the biggest Anthropod. It has the advantage of living underwater where it’s weight is supported (more on that later). They have a leg span of 12.1 feet from claw to claw, a body size up to 16 inches and can weigh 42 pounds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider_crab)

Author: Jotham

Jotham Austin, II lives in Chicagoland with his wife and two sons. He has his PhD in Botany, and can be found taking electron micrographs of cells at The University of Chicago. His Rom-Com novella, “Tomorrow May Be Too Late” will be published as part of the romance anthology, “Askew Ever After,” January 2021. His debut novel, a sci-fi psychological thriller, ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” will be released February 2021. Jotham recently started a newsletter that explores the science in science fiction (signup at jothamaustin.com). Preorder books and Follow Jotham on social media at https://linktr.ee/Jothamaustin

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