The World's Insect Directory

Every Insect.
One Place.

Explore the extraordinary world of insects — from the microscopic thrips to the mighty Hercules beetle. Discover taxonomy, habitats, behaviors, and mind-blowing facts.

635 Species
24 Orders
6 Continents

Featured Insects

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Coleoptera

Actaeon Beetle

Megasoma actaeon

Contender for the worlds heaviest beetle — a male larva bred in Japan weighed 228 grams, about the weight of a brown rat...

50-135 mm South America
Blattodea

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana

Despite its name, native to Africa. One of the largest common cockroaches. Can run at 5.4 km/h — proportionally, one of ...

35-53 mm Worldwide
Hymenoptera

Asian Giant Hornet

Vespa mandarinia

The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a few hours. Their venom...

45-55 mm Asia
Lepidoptera

Atlas Moth

Attacus atlas

One of the largest moths in the world by wing area. Adults have no mouths and do not eat, living only 1-2 weeks on store...

250-300 mm wingspan Asia
Lepidoptera

Blue Morpho

Morpho menelaus

Renowned for its brilliant iridescent blue wings. The color is not from pigment but from microscopic scales that reflect...

120-150 mm wingspan Central America
Phasmatodea Data Deficient

Chans Megastick

Phobaeticus chani

The longest insect in the world at 567 mm (with legs extended). Discovered in Borneo in 1989. Only six specimens have ev...

357 mm body (567 mm with legs) Asia
Mantodea

Chinese Mantis

Tenodera sinensis

One of the largest mantis species in North America (introduced). An ambush predator with remarkable binocular vision. Fe...

80-110 mm Asia
Ephemeroptera

Common Mayfly

Ephemera danica

Adults have no functional mouths and live only 1-3 days. Massive synchronized emergences called "hatches" are among natu...

15-25 mm body Europe

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