What is the largest insect in the world?
We quickly learned from our search for the largest insect in the world that the answer depends on how you define “largest.” We had to decide if we were looking for the largest in weight, length, wingspan, or bulk. But rather than arbitrarily deciding on the definition of “largest,” we decided to present five generally acknowledged giants of the insect world: • Megasoma acteon. South America’s male Acteon Beetle is one of the bulkiest of the abundant order of beetles, and it is often considered the “largest” in the world. The males can grow to be 3.5″ long by 2″ wide by 1.5″ thick. • Deinacrida heteracantha. The heaviest insect on record was a pregnant Giant Weta, a rare and endangered New Zealand species that weighed in at 71 grams (just over 2 ounces). • Titanus gigante
