5 Of The World’s Largest Insects

Insects represent approximately 80 percent of animal life on Earth. Although more than 1 million have been named thus far, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million insect species in total. They range in size from a wasp that’s almost imperceptibly small to a roach that reaches almost eight inches in length — and beyond. It’s believed that largest insect that ever lived was a Meganeuropsis, dating back hundreds of millions of years. Related to current day dragonflies, these gargantuan predatory creatures grew to have an 18-inch body, with a wingspan of nearly two-and-a-half feet. Although we don’t have anything to rival the Meganeuropsis today, there are plenty of other insects that are still impressively large. Here are five of them.