Big Creepy Crawlies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Amazon rainforest

The Titanus giganteus, or titan beetle, 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 (16.8 cm) in length. They have very strong mandibles that reportedly can snap a pencil in half.

They can also rip into human flesh. When it is threatened, it sends out a very loud hissing noise which makes it even more frightening.

Answer: Two feet (61 cm)

Stick insects are the longest on the planet. They are typically nocturnal, so have evolved to look like sticks for camouflage. This allows them to hide on forest floors during the day. The giant walking stick is the longest of all of the stick insects. Besides being long, stick insects can use a smelly defensive spray, feign death, or shed a limb to escape from predators.

Answer: New Zealand

The giant weta is an enormous bug that is related to the cricket. Some giant wetas can weigh over 70 grams (about 2.5 ounces), making them among the heaviest insects in the world. They are so heavy that they can weigh more than a sparrow. They are also long, approximately four inches (about ten centimetres).

The insect's name comes from the Maori word "wetapunga" which means "God of the Ugly Things." It earned the name because not only is it big, it is rather frightening to look at.

Answer: Dog and cat food

Goliath beetles are native to Africa and can be very large. They can grow to over 10 cm (around 4 inches), and can weigh as much as 100 grams (3.5 ounces) in their larval stage. Although they are thought to be mainly vegetarians in the wild, they seem to have a very strong appetite for protein in captivity. This has led owners to feed them canned cat and dog food to keep them satisfied.

Answer: Atlas moth

The atlas moth is native to Southeast Asia. They are one of the largest moths in the world. It has a wingspan that can measure 9.4 inches (24 cm), with a wing surface area of about 25 square inches (160 square centimetres). They are comparable in size to a small bird.

The adults do not have working mouth parts, so live only on reserved fat tissue developed during the larval stage. They live for only one to two weeks, during which time their sole purpose is to breed.

Answer: Hornet

Tarantula hawks are a hornet in the family Pompilidae, or spider wasps. They are known to attack tarantulas, sting them to immobilize them, and drag them back to their nest. There, they lay one egg in the still-living tarantula where the developing larva will live and eat its live host from the inside out.

The tarantula hawk can be as large as two inches (five centimetres) long. They have very large stingers, and can induce an extremely painful sting if they are provoked. Tarantula hawks can be found in many areas, including from India to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

Answer: Giant burrowing cockroach

The giant burrowing cockroach is native to Australia. Otherwise known as the rhinoceros cockroach, it can grow to over three inches (eight centimetres) in length. Unlike most other cockroaches, the giant burrowing cockroach does not have wings and is seen as a beneficial insect to have around.

It feeds mainly on dead leaves, thus helping the ecosystem to recycle matter. It is also the only cockroach in the world to live in a permanent burrow. This large bug does not bite, and is quite a calm creature, so is sometimes kept as a pet.

Answer: They can be legally bought, sold, and traded on international markets

The Queen Alexandra birdwing lives in the forests of Papua New Guinea. It was only discovered in 1906, but is considered endangered. Adults live for only three months, but the female can lay up to 240 eggs during that time. Due to its classification as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), commercial international trade is illegal.

Answer: False

The giant water bug is a large insect that heads into freshwater to feed on small fish and amphibians. When they catch their prey, they inject a toxic saliva that turns the flesh of the prey to liquid. The liquid is then sucked out and injested. It is also known as a "toe biter" because it will bite human feet, causing an extremely painful reaction.

Despite this, the giant water bug is sought out as a delicacy in South and Southeast Asia, served fried at markets and in homes. Giant water bugs can be found around the world.

Answer: The world's heaviest beetle

These beetles are one of the largest of all beetles. It can be found in the Amazon regions of South America. The males can grow to about 5.5 inches (13.5 cm), and over 1.5 inches (4 cm) thick. These beetles can be quite heavy. A specimen was found in the early 2000s that weighed 8.04 ounces (228 grams).

This is about the same as a female rat. This beetle holds the record for the heaviest beetle, and the heaviest insect in the world.