Who Thinks of Insects As Heavy?

May 18, 2016

Who Thinks of Insects As Heavy?

When one thinks of insects we think large or small, creepy or crawly but rarely, if ever do we think, “I wonder how much that bug weighs”? Well, let’s take a look at a couple.

One bug that certainly tops the list would be the giant Weta found in New Zealand and large enough to dine on carrots. This cricket character can weigh over 2.5 ounces (71 grams) and is over one-half foot long. The female crickets are larger than the male which is about half the size. They are only found in protected areas of New Zealand such as Little Barrier Island.

Pretty much the other heaviest insects are all beetles. The 9-inch Titan beetle from the rain forests of the Amazon, is the largest and heaviest of the beetles. The beetle larvae develop in decaying wood.

Coming in second in weight class would be the Elephant beetles. They range in size between 2.74 inches and 4.75 inches with the male being the heavier of the two. They are located in Mexico, South America and Australia. As the rain forests are in decline so too is the habitat for these giant beetles.

The final two heavy beetles are the adult male Goliath Beetles. They are unusual in that they are soil dwelling unlike many other beetle larvae that use decaying plant life where they begin development. The larvae itself can reach up to 5 inches and weigh up to 100 grams. Goliath beetles are a winged beetle that actually have two sets of wings. One set acts as protection for the underset actually used in flying.

So is insect weight important? Who knows but it sure is interesting.

List of Largest Insects - click here

Large and Heavy Insects Framed - click here

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in Entomology