Top 10 Weirdest Insects

Well, we can take a guess as to where this beetle got its name. The Goliath beetle is a fascinating insect, and looks like someone took a grow-ray to a normal beetle, and blew it up to about 100 times its size. They are named after the biblical Goliath and are often considered to be one of the world’s largest insects. They are found primarily in Africa, and the males can grow upwards of four inches in length. Their colors are also extravagant, with some boasting a very beautiful and identifiable white and black pattern. But while they may be fascinating, but we wouldn’t want a four-inch long insect flying in our faces.

The tailed emperor is a massive Australian butterfly with a three-inch wingspan. And while this is certainly an interesting fully-grown creature, it is even more unique in its larva stage. These caterpillars look like . . . well, honestly, kinda like little dinosaurs. They usually have beautiful yellow and black crescents on their backs, which nicely contrasts with their predominant green color. They also have what looks like an armored head, triangular in shape and contains four protruding horns. Now that’s metal! These are some seriously interesting caterpillars. Why can’t they all be this cool?

OK, remind us never to travel to New Zealand. The giant weta is native to New Zealand, and is basically, you guessed it, a giant version of the regular weta grasshopper. These beasts are truly dangerous looking, and can grow to be upwards of four inches long. A particularly massive giant weta weighed 2.5 ounces, which is heavier than a typical sparrow. The Little Barrier Island giant wetas are the largest species, as they can average a length of two inches. In other words, weta or drya, these are big insects, and we don’t want to be anywhere near them.

Geez, we wonder where the thorn bug got its name? Perhaps it has something to do with the giant thorn protruding from its entire freaking body? The thorn bug is a bug related to the cicada, but these, at least are much cuter. Thorn bugs are little guys with stick-y legs and that massive, pointy thorn. The spear-like appendage itself is enticing, but thorn bugs also come in a multitude of colors, including green, yellow blue and orange, which helps boost their already-distinctive appearance. Naturalists assume that their thorns help with camouflage, but then again, maybe they just want to look cool.

OK, this has both “devil” and “flower” in its name, so we don’t know if its supposed to be beautiful or nightmare-inducing. The devil’s flower mantis, also called the Egyptian flower mantis and thistle mantis, is a species of praying mantis found primarily in Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. These flower-imitating little guys have very bright and gorgeous colors underneath their forelegs and wings . . . aaaand very intimidating and evil-looking heads, complete with devilish eyes that have the power to stare into your soul. Ain’t nature wonderful?

No, that’s not us being funny. This insect is genuinely known as the giant prickly stick insect. OK, it’s also known as the spiny leaf insect, and Australian walking stick, and also by its Latin name extatosoma tiaratum, but we prefer the badass “giant prickly stick insect”. (Branding is important after all, even in the insect world.) As you can probably guess, this insect looks like a . . giant prickly stick, usually brown in appearance and containing many little thorns all over. (Thorns seem to be consistently popular in this category). It’s a truly strange creature, and while you may want to touch it, it’s probably best for you and your hand if you didn’t.

While there are undoubtedly a ton of gnarly, disturbing and unnerving insects throughout the world, perhaps none are as bad boy-sounding as the scorpionfly. Just imagine a terrifying scorpion flying through the air and landing on your face. Uh, how about no? The scorpionfly looks like a nightmarish mix between a cicada, a wasp, and that scorpion, with a long beak and a stinger near its rear end. However, spoiler alert, this is not actually a stinger, but, well, enlarged male genitals. Did we mention scorpionflies are also known to feast on human corpses? You’re welcome.

Mo’ mantis, mo’ problems. OK, so we think flower mantises are really cool. But, to be honest, they’re also very weird. The spiny flower mantis is native to southern Africa, and it gets its name from the brilliant colors it displays, and the prickly thorns that adorn its abdomen. The spiny flower mantis is usually green, but they have also been known to come in yellow, pink, and red varieties. These creatures also have spiral marks on their backs that look like the number nine, which is meant to appear as a giant, intimidating eyeball to predators. This insect is chock full of freaky features. Did we mention the cannibalism?

The caterpillar of the puss moth is one monstrous creature. You may not think that a caterpillar could be super-terrifying, but you’ve clearly never come across the puss moth variety before. The caterpillars may look harmless, but their defense mechanism is a thing of natural beauty. And horror! When disturbed, they raise their heads and reveal a Satanic-looking face, complete with soulless black eyes, a nasty bee-like mouth, and a giant ring of what looks like lips. If a particularly brave predator doesn’t heed the warning, it is sprayed with formic acid, strong enough to cause burns and blisters in humans. It’s best to just leave this creature from Hell alone.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Long-Legged Armoured Katydid

Pale Tussock Caterpillar

Hercules Beetle

This may sound like some great ride at a South American theme park, but the Brazilian Treehopper is actually so freaking weird that even scientists don’t know what its deal is. It looks like something out of a zombie flick. It has a very long, thin neck and four bristly balls on its…head? Maybe? We don’t really know, and neither do the pros. One theory is that its appearance and the bristles combine to serve as a defense mechanism. Another theory is that the bristles are some sort of sensory device, sensory in nature rather than defensive. Whatever the answer, we call it a whole bunch of NOPE.