It is not only the animal kingdom that boasts with world record creatures. Insects also hold quite a few titles in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some might fill you with delight….others with horror.
Largest spider
A goliath bird-eater spider owned by Walter Baumgartner called Rosi holds the record for the heaviest spider specimen! In 2007 she weighed 175g. That is 7 times the weight of a mouse!
Longest insect
A Phryganistria chinensis – a type of stick insect – that was bred at the Insect Museum in West China is the longest recorded specimen of its kind at a whopping 64 centimeters!
Most painful insect sting
Did you know that, like the Scoville scale that measures the hotness of chillies, there is also the Schmidt Insect Pain Index that measures the painfulness of an insect sting? US entomologist Justin O’Schmidt, used his 1st hand experience of being stung by insects during his career to structure the scale. At the very top of the chart is the bullet ant, the only insect assessed so far to receive a 4.0+ rating. Some have likened the pain of being stung to being shot – hence this insect’s common name.
Largest aquatic insect
The largest aquatic insect is the giant water bug (Lethocerus maximus), a carnivorous species that inhabits Venezuela and Brazil. It has been measured up to 11.5 cm (4.53 in) long.
Longest journey by a butterfly
North America’s Monarch Butterfly covers astonishing distances yearly when they head South from Canada for warmer weather in the USA. On average, these long-haul commuters cover 80–160 km (50–100 miles) in a single day. One individual that was tagged in Ontario, Canada, in 1988 then recaptured in Texas, USA, the following year is estimated to have clocked up at least 4,635 km (2,880 mi) on its epic journey – about the same as a flight between London and
Most insect tattoos
The most insects tattooed on the body is 864, and was achieved by Michael Amoia (USA) in New York, New York, USA, on 28 October 2021. Michael decided to break this record in order to raise awareness for a charity that helps underprivileged kids.
Were you amazed or appalled by these insect world records? One thing is for sure…no one wants to break an insect world record by the volume of insects you have at your home. If harmful insects have invaded your home, contact Service Master to sort you out!
