There are two contenders for the title of insect with the largest wingspan, depending on whether we're talking about living insects or including extinct ones:
Living Champion: The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
- The undisputed champion among living insects is the Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae).
- These magnificent butterflies are found in the rainforests of eastern Papua New Guinea.
- Females boast the most impressive wingspans, reaching up to an incredible 31 cm (12.2 inches)! Their wings are nearly the size of a dinner plate.
- Males, on the other hand, are smaller and have a different wing coloration.
Extinct Titan: The Meganeuropsis permiana
- If we consider extinct insects, the title goes to the Meganeuropsis permiana, a giant dragonfly that lived on Earth during the late Permian period, roughly 275 million years ago.
- These prehistoric predators had a wingspan of up to 71 cm (28 inches), which is larger than a crow!
- Their massive size was likely made possible by the high oxygen levels present in the Earth's atmosphere during that time period.
So, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing reigns supreme among living insects, while the Meganeuropsis permiana holds the record for the largest wingspan ever recorded in an insect.
