On the occasion of this year's "518 International Museum Day", Chengdu Huaxi Entomological Museum held a special exhibition called "Giant Beasts of the Microscopic World - Giant Insect Exhibition", and the scene also set up an experience link for making butterfly specimens.
Live onlookers of insects
At the event site, the primary school students who came to visit made butterfly specimens with great interest under the guidance of the museum's science educators and specimen making technicians. In the face of China's indigenous giant beetle - unicorn fairy, a "ah" sound came and went, seeing that the beetle seemed to fall, the students held their breath, and then found that the beetle climbed the branches steadily, and they were relieved to make a "Oh" sound. "I want to have one." A schoolboy said during the visit.
In this exhibition, some representative giant insects in China and the world have also appeared. In addition to the real specimens, there are also highly simulated giant insect models that are exactly the same as the appearance of real insects, 30 times equal scale enlargement, and fossils of ancient giant insects. Zhao Li introduced that the museum has a collection of many huge insects, some even obtained the Guinness World Records certificate, and its size is unbelievably large, "They are giant beasts in the microscopic world." Zhao Li said.
Some of the "star" insects on display are introduced
Echizen megalodon (the world's largest aquatic insect)
The world's largest aquatic insect in an attack pose, the Echichu megalodon
Latin scientific name: acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi Collection place: Chengdu Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, Qingcheng Mountain
The Echichu megalodon looks a lot like the dragonfly, but it has huge teeth on the front of its head and looks very fierce. Megalodon is a small group of insects belonging to the broad-winged order, toothed clams, and megalodons, and is currently known to the world in 8 species, of which 6 species are distributed in China. Their adults, both male and female, have a pair of large teeth at the front of their heads, and the male teeth can reach more than 3 centimeters in length. The largest aquatic insect recognized as living in modern times in the past is a dragonfly called "Helicopter Bean Lady" produced in Brazil and other places in Central and South America, and its maximum recorded width when its wings are open is 19.10 cm.
In July 2014, the Chengdu Huaxi Entomological Museum collected a specimen of the Yuezhong Megalodon in Qingcheng Mountain, Sichuan Province, with a maximum wingspan of 21.5 cm, nearly 2.4 cm wider than the "helicopter bean lady". The largest aquatic insect ever in Earth's history, the Giant-veined Dragonfly, has a wingspan of up to 75 centimeters, but was extinct as early as the Permian period 250 million years ago. Despite its ferocious appearance, adultSophthals do not prey on other animals, but only suck up the sap flowing from trees. The larvae of the megalodon live in streams with clear water or pollution-free rivers in mountainous areas, catching small organisms in the water for food, because of its high requirements for water quality, its existence directly reflects the quality of local water, so it is used by many foreign experts as "water quality index insects". ”
White Witch Nocturnal Moth (The World's Widest Wing Spread Insect)
The female of the White Witch Moth (the widest insect in the world) has a wingspan of 29.5 cm
Latin scientific name: thysania agrippina Place of collection: South America, Peru, Machu Picchu
Who are the insects with the largest wingspan on the planet? For years, scientists disagreed on this issue. This heavyweight has actually been hidden in the jungle depths of South America, and few people know its hugeness, it is the South American White Witch Night Moth with a wingspan of up to 32 centimeters. In South America, the White Witch Nocturnal Moth has many names, including the Ghost Moth, the Giant Agrippina, the Great Grey Witch, the Great Owl Moth, the Strong-Beaked Nocturnal Moth, the Moon Moth, etc., and the white wings with a complex zigzag pattern on the front are its excellent camouflage on the gray-white trunk. It is difficult to spot in the jungle due to its good protective color, and is therefore one of the most mysterious moths in the world, with many eerie stories about it. Many superstitious local villagers believe that it is the embodiment of the jungle witch.
Monarch Cicada (The World's Largest Cicada)
Monarch cicada (the largest cicada in the world), photo specimen wing spread width: 20.9 cm
Latin scientific name: pomponia imperatoria Place of collection: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
The world's largest cicada, with a maximum wingspan of 21.7 cm, is found in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, where there is a slightly smaller species.
King Flower Golden Turtle (one of the largest scarabs in the world)
The world's largest scarab beetle - the king flower golden turtle
Latin scientific name: goliathus goliatus Place of collection: Cameroon, Africa
The world's heaviest, largest and most gorgeous scarab beetle is the genus Of the Great Horned Scarab from Africa, also known as the "Great King Flower Golden Turtle" because of its belonging to the family Ofmuridae. Its adult body length can reach 11 cm, and the larvae can grow to more than 10 cm long and more than 100 grams. Compared to other scarab beetles, they have a greater need for high-protein foods. Some breeders have found that their larvae are particularly fond of eating dog food, and the newly hatched larvae will grow to more than 3 centimeters in two weeks if fed dog food, a strange discovery that sounds really incredible, but it has been repeatedly verified.
Aktyn (the heaviest insect in the world)
The world's heaviest insect, the Aktyn's Big-Hooded Worm
Latin scientific name: megasoma actaeon Place of collection: Ecuador, South America
The Ctienus is the heaviest of all known insect species, known as the "heaviest insect on the surface" and the most powerful beetle. Its species name, actaeon, is the name of a hunter in Latin mythology, and can grow up to 13.7 cm long, 4 cm thick, and 6 cm wide, with adults weighing up to 156 g and larvae weighing up to 240 g. Its adults are matte black throughout, and some individuals appear dark brown. Males have well-developed head horns and two thick chest horns that protrude deep forward on the left and right. These two large chest protrusions look a lot like the hat on Batman's head, so many Beetle lovers jokingly refer to it as Batman's Big Hood. Females are petite , generally only 6–8 cm long , with no head horns , black throughout , and some rough particles in the center of the elytra.
Euphorbia longifolia (the longest insect in the Corner of the World)
Euphorbia longifolia, photo body length: 16.2 cm
Latin scientific name: dynastes hercules
Euphorbia longifolia live in Central America, mostly in Colombia, also known as "Hercules Macrobrachium". The male can reach a length of 17.2 cm and is one of the largest insects. It looks very different from other beetles in appearance, and has an extremely long horn that can reach nearly half its length, making it the longest horned insect in the world. There are more than 10 subspecies of euphorbia longifolia, and because of its brave and beautiful appearance, Asian enthusiasts have praised it as "Lü Bu in the worm".
Tusked Giant Celestial Bull (The world's largest Celestial Bull and the longest beetle in the body)
The world's largest celestial bull, the tusked giant celestial bull, has a nominal body length of 16.5 cm
Latin scientific name: macrodontia cervicornis Place of collection: South America Peru
The tusked giant bull has a flat body and is a strange beetle with a wild totem sheathed on its back. They are orange all over, have quirky black stripes, and look a bit Indian, so they also have a nickname "Indian Shield". Male tusked giant bulls have huge teeth up to 5 cm long, hence the name macrodontia, which means "big teeth". But its antennae are relatively shorter than those of other celestial bulls, less than half the length of its body. The genus is native to South America and is currently known to 11 species from Guatemala to Argentina. This celestial bull is very large, with a maximum individual length of 17.8 centimeters, making it the longest beetle in the world. It is currently on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Natural Resources (IUCN). With a length of more than 16.5 centimeters, the museum's collection is currently the largest specimen of Tianniu in Chinese museums and research institutions.
Red Star News reporter Peng Liang according to the interviewee
Edited by Gong Rui