The world’s largest beetle

The titan beetle, or Titanus giganteus, is the largest known beetle in the Amazon rain forest and one of the largest insect species in the world. They can grow up to 6.6 inches in length, according to the Smithsonian.

This gargantuan insect has mandibles that can easily snap a pencil in half, and reportedly they can rip into human flesh, too.

Like many beetles, the titan beetle can emit a loud hissing sound when it is threatened.

The largest moth in the world

Common across the Malay Archipelago, these bird-sized insects are considered the largest moths in the world. They are so big that their cocoons are occasionally used as purses in Taiwan.

The total area of their wings can measure more than 60 square inches and their wingspans can measure at least one foot in length. Atlas caterpillars can be over one-inch thick!

Some say the moth is named after Atlas, in Greek mythology. He was the Titan condemned by Zeus to hold the sky upon his shoulders. The name refers to the sheer vastness of the moth’s size.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 4th, 2018