These insects are one of the largest moth species; their wingspan can be up to 8 inches. 

They are bright yellow with red and purple markings. There are eye spots on each wing. The lower wings have long dark tails.

These cute bugs are native to Madagascar and are also called Madagascar moon moths. Adult comet moths don't eat but live off the fat they store as caterpillars. They will only survive for a week.

Have you ever seen a domestic silkworm? Not so cute. But if a silkworm hatched from its cocoon today, you'd find the majestic silk moth. These cute bugs are light brown to blond with cream-colored wings. 

A silk moth lives for about three days. During that time, it doesn't eat or fly.

The female orchid mantis is possibly the most beautiful and rarest mantis species. This insect mimics yellow, pink, or white orchid flowers. Its legs look like petals, and its abdomen resembles an orchid lip2. 

The orchid mantis’ resemblance to a flower attracts unsuspecting pollinators and confuses predators. People also call it the walking flower mantis, and it is native to southeast Asia.

The Goliath birdeater is one of the largest spiders in the world. Its leg span is up to 12 inches. This spider would have anyone screaming should they find it in a cupboard. But not to worry, the spider is rare and inhabits the forests of South America.

These spiders use their toxic fangs to hunt prey. They use harpoon-shaped hairs on their bodies as a defense mechanism. Some people call it the Central American puppy spider because of its puppy-like size. For more 8-legged info, check out our spider facts.

If you are a fan of Rudolf, the reindeer, you'll think this lanternfly species is the cutest bug ever. The insect has a long curved red nose decorated with tiny white spots.

The insect has beautiful dark green wings with yellow spots. The bottom end of the wings may be a darker shade of green or brownish green.

This colorful bug is truly an art of nature. Its shield-shaped back has a collage of cream, red, blue, green, and black colors.

The Picasso bug is also called the Zulu Hud bug. It is native to tropical and subtropical Africa. When threatened, these cute bugs release a not-so-cute smelly substance. So although they are pretty, they'll stink bomb you if you touch them.

Deep in the Amazon forest, you will indeed find many large beetles. However, Titan beetles will catch your attention. The Titan beetle is the biggest insect in the beetle family3, with a body length of up to 6.5 inches.

The Titan is so big that they may be unable to take off from the ground. It will need to launch its wings from a tree to gain momentum. 

Interestingly, scientists have not observed the Titan beetle larvae. However, based on the sizes of boreholes in trees, their larvae are also quite long. Titans also have huge mandibles and strong jaws. These mandibles can rip into human flesh. When threatened, this beetle makes a hissing sound to defend itself. 

While the Titan beetle is the largest beetle, it is not the largest insect in the world.

Stick insects, also known as leaf insects or ghost insects, are some of the largest insects in the world, consisting of about 3,000 species. They are also some of the longest ones in the order Phasmatodea. 

The longest stick insect belongs to the genus Phobaeticus, including the species Phobaeticus serratipes  and Phobaeticus chani, each with a body length of up to 21 in.

However, the world’s longest insect record belongs to a newly discovered species called the Phryganistria chinensis. This stick insect has a body length measuring 25 in. It was found and bred at the Insect Museum of West China.

This big insect has a flat tubular appearance resembling a stick. It can easily hide from predators by blending into branches and leaves. The stick insect can play dead on tree branches to defend itself until the predator loses interest. It may even lose a leg to escape predators and regenerate it later.

The next on our list of giant insects in the world is the Atlas moth. You can find Atlas moths located all over Asia. This insect is so big that it is considered one of the largest species of moths2. 

However, only the White Witch moth and the Hercules moth have a longer wingspan than the Atlas moth. The Hercules moth is the largest moth in the world. The Atlas moth has a wingspan that falls between 249 to 250 mm in females and from 210 to 230 mm in males. 

The moth has beautiful snake-like patterns on its wings, which help it protect itself from predators. Also, at the larval stage, the Atlas moth releases a secretion to help guard against predators like ants, lizards, and birds.

Tarantula hawks are the largest wasps in the world. These large species can measure up to 2 inches long. These wasps are formidable predators capable of hunting down tarantula spiders, a food source for their larvae. The female tarantula hawk lays its eggs in the spider’s abdomen, and when these eggs hatch, they eat the spider alive.

What’s notable about the Tarantula hawk is their massive stingers. These stinging wasps have some of the most painful insect stings in the world. The pain from the tarantula hawk species Pepsis grossa sting is second only to the bullet ant.