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The Wild Pest
Book
Brass numbered placards, vintage measuring tape, and a small bronze trophy on aged cedar.
Most Wanted ListStrongest

World Records — Officially the Most Bug

Largest. Strongest. Fastest. Loudest. Longest-migrating. The bug ledger.

Pull up the record book and the bugs dominate. Strongest animal pound-for-pound? A beetle. Fastest predatory strike? An ant. Largest insect by leg span? A spider. Longest insect migration? A dragonfly. Loudest insect chorus? A cicada. The mammals don't even crack the top ten. Sheriff keeps a clean ledger.

  1. African Dung Beetle
    1

    African Dung Beetle

    Scarabaeus satyrus

    82Six Legs

    Strongest animal ever measured — 1,141× body weight.

    BeneficialRead the file →
  2. Trap-Jaw Ant
    2

    Trap-Jaw Ant

    Odontomachus bauri

    77Six Legs

    Fastest predatory strike ever recorded — 145 mph in 0.13 milliseconds.

    CuriousRead the file →
  3. Giant Huntsman Spider
    3

    Giant Huntsman Spider

    Heteropoda maxima

    74Six Legs

    Largest spider by leg span — 30 cm dinner-plate width.

    CuriousRead the file →
  4. Goliath Birdeater
    4

    Goliath Birdeater

    Theraphosa blondi

    82Six Legs

    Largest spider by mass — 175 g, 11 cm body.

    OutlawRead the file →
  5. Chinese Giant Stick Insect
    5

    Chinese Giant Stick Insect

    Phryganistria chinensis

    74Six Legs

    Longest insect — 64 cm, longer than a human forearm.

    CuriousRead the file →
  6. Atlas Moth
    6

    Atlas Moth

    Attacus atlas

    76Six Legs

    Largest moth by wing surface — 400 cm² of wing.

    CuriousRead the file →
  7. Asian Giant Hornet
    7

    Asian Giant Hornet

    Vespa mandarinia

    86Six Legs

    Largest hornet — 5 cm queens.

    Apex OutlawRead the file →
  8. Amazonian Giant Centipede
    8

    Amazonian Giant Centipede

    Scolopendra gigantea

    82Six Legs

    Largest centipede — 30 cm, eats bats mid-flight.

    OutlawRead the file →
  9. Globe Skimmer Dragonfly
    9

    Globe Skimmer Dragonfly

    Pantala flavescens

    80Six Legs

    Longest insect migration — 18,000 km across the Indian Ocean.

    BeneficialRead the file →
  10. Periodical Cicada (17-Year)
    10

    Periodical Cicada (17-Year)

    Magicicada septendecim

    85Six Legs

    Loudest mass insect chorus — 100 dB sustained, louder than a chainsaw.

    CuriousRead the file →