{"id":31579,"date":"2023-09-08T15:45:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T13:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=79069"},"modified":"2023-09-08T16:35:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T14:35:43","slug":"britains-largest-insects-which-insect-can-be-crowned-the-uks-largest","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/britains-largest-insects-which-insect-can-be-crowned-the-uks-largest\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain\u2019s largest insects: which insect can be crowned the UK\u2019s largest?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The charity Buglife takes a look at the contenders for the UK’s biggest insects <\/p>

By Buglife\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 08 September 2023 at 13:45 PM<\/p>

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In the UK, we tend to think of insects as being quite small, with the ones we would consider our largest \u2013 whether that be in length, wingspan or by weight \u2013 being a pretty unusual and impressive sight.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A contender for Britain\u2019s largest insect could be the largest UK beetle, the stag beetle<\/a><\/strong> (Lucanus cervus,<\/em>\u00a0measuring in at 35-75mm long, including their jaws\/mandibles, and weighing a chunky 2-6g.<\/p>\n

Other contenders include the UK\u2019s largest moth, the emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia<\/em>), which can have a wingspan of up to 80mm and the UK\u2019s longest insect, which is probably the non-native, naturalised unarmed stick insect (Acanthoxyla inermis<\/em>), measuring up to 125mm in length.<\/p>\n

\"emperor\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
A stunning male emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia<\/em>)\u00a0\u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Other insects in the UK that could fall into the largest insect category might be the hornet robberfly<\/a><\/strong> (Asilus crabroniformis), <\/em>our largest species of fly which can reach up to 28mm in length; the noisy and incredibly clumsy cockchafer<\/a> <\/strong>(Melolontha melolontha<\/em>), a beetle growing up to 30mm in length; or maybe even the emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator<\/em>), which averages around 78mm in length with a 105mm wingspan.<\/p>\n

But the biggest British insects pale into insignificance when you look at the world\u2019s largest insects<\/a><\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

Did you know the UK\u2019s biggest arachnid is the fen raft spider, with a \u00a0a leg-span of up to 70mm and a body length of up to 23mm?<\/p>\n