Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is known for its diverse range of insects, some of which are peculiar and found only on the continent. From giant worms and centipedes to poisonous spiders and ants, Australia's bugs can be both fascinating and scary. While some insects play an essential role in the ecosystem, others are simply a source of curiosity or even fear for locals and tourists alike. So, are there big bugs in Australia? The answer is a resounding yes, and they are about to get even bigger.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Insects | Common Garden Katydid, St Andrew's Cross Spiders, Spiny Leaf Insect, Common Garden Orb Weaver, Goliath Stick Insect, Bulldog Ants, Cockroaches, Maggots, Centipedes |
| Spiders | Common Garden Orb Weaver, Golden Orb Weaver, Goliath Stick Insect |
| Size | Some insects are colossal and bigger than normal bugs |
| Behavior | Some insects are poisonous, scary, and hide to catch their prey by surprise |
| Location | Queensland, Northern New South Wales, Sydney, Daintree Rainforest in Northern Australia |
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What You'll Learn
- The Goliath Stick Insect, a praying mantis with limbs the size of branches
- The Common Garden Orb Weaver, a spider that eats birds
- The Australian Burrowing Cockroach, as large as a human hand
- The Spiny Leaf Insect, also known as the Giant Prickly Stick Insect
- The St Andrew's Cross Spider, which creates a web resembling the Scottish flag
The Goliath Stick Insect, a praying mantis with limbs the size of branches
Australia is home to some of the world's most peculiar insects, including the Goliath Stick Insect, a praying mantis with limbs the size of branches. This insect is a true contender for one of nature's weirdest creations.
The praying mantis is an order of insects (Mantodea) known for their distinctive prayer-like posture, with their front legs folded as if in prayer. They are long, narrow insects with large, raptorial front legs modified for grasping prey. The front legs are elongated and end in sharp spines, allowing them to securely capture and hold their prey. The praying mantis has an elongated thorax, resembling a neck, that enables its triangular head with large, compound eyes to swivel almost all the way around.
The Goliath Stick Insect, a member of the praying mantis family, takes this distinctive appearance to another level. Its limbs are remarkably large, resembling branches, giving it an otherworldly appearance. This specific species also possesses excellent natural camouflage, making it difficult to spot when hiding in green plants.
Like other praying mantises, the Goliath Stick Insect is an ambush predator. It is a generalist predator, feeding on a variety of insects and even small animals. They are not picky eaters and will consume whatever they can catch. Their cannibalistic nature is one of the reasons they are not considered effective agents for biological pest control.
The praying mantis, including the Goliath Stick Insect, has inspired fascination and respect in different cultures. In China, martial arts styles mimicking the movements and strategies of the mantis have been developed, known as Northern Praying Mantis and Southern Praying Mantis. In Southern African cultures, the insect's praying posture was revered, and it was even named "Hottentotsgot" or "god of the Hottentots" by the Khoi and San people.
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The Common Garden Orb Weaver, a spider that eats birds
Australia is known for its peculiar insects, some of which are colossal in size. One such insect is the Common Garden Orb Weaver, a spider that is reddish-brown or grey with a leaf-shaped pattern on its fat, roughly triangular abdomen. This spider is a master of disguise, with excellent natural camouflage that helps it hide from predators during the day. At night, it takes on a different appearance, spreading its legs out as it sits in the middle of its web.
The Common Garden Orb Weaver is a member of the spider family Araneidae and is known for its intricate wheel-shaped webs. These webs are constructed in gardens, fields, and forests, often in the flight path of insects. The spider builds its web in the evenings and takes it down at dawn, hiding the "orb" part of the web during the day to avoid predators. The spider then rests head-down in the centre of the web, waiting for prey.
The Common Garden Orb Weaver feeds on flying insects such as flies, beetles, and bugs, including large prey like cicadas. When an insect flies into the web, the spider senses the vibration and rushes out to wrap its victim in silk. It then bites its prey and allows its deadly venom to take effect. Once the insect is motionless, the spider takes it to the centre of the web to eat or hangs it up for later.
Interestingly, the Common Garden Orb Weaver only eats liquid food, so it discards the solid parts of its prey, which fall to the ground below the web. This spider is generally harmless to humans and is reluctant to bite. However, its bite can cause mild local pain, numbness, and swelling, and occasionally nausea and dizziness.
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The Australian Burrowing Cockroach, as large as a human hand
Australia is home to some of the world's largest insects, including the Australian Burrowing Cockroach, which can grow to the size of a human palm—measuring up to 80 mm in length and weighing up to 30-35 grams. These cockroaches are native to Australia and are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Queensland, along the coastal stretch from Rockhampton to Cooktown, and on the Whitsunday Islands.
The Australian Burrowing Cockroach, also known as the Rhinoceros Cockroach or Queensland Giant Cockroach, is a member of the Blaberidae family and is unrelated to common pest cockroaches like the American or German varieties. They are easily identifiable by their large size and weight, with a prominent plate-like structure called a pronotum covering the first segment of the thorax. This structure, along with their spiny tibiae, assists them in digging and burrowing into the ground.
These cockroaches are well-adapted for burrowing, with large back legs and strong body armour for protection from predators. They are wingless and spend most of their lives underground in burrows that can stretch up to one metre deep in the soil. During the day, they remain at the end of their burrows in chambers where they store food, primarily dry leaves, twigs, and bark, which they gather from the forest floor at night.
The Australian Burrowing Cockroach is generally a solitary species, only meeting to mate. They produce one brood of approximately thirty nymphs each year, which are rarely found above ground outside of the burrow. These nymphs will moult up to 12 times before reaching adulthood, and they may ingest their outer skin as it is nutritious. The cockroaches are long-lived, with a lifespan of up to 10 years.
Due to their large size, clean nature, and low maintenance requirements, the Australian Burrowing Cockroach has become a popular pet both in Australia and internationally. They are safe to handle, do not bite, and are odourless. However, it is important to provide them with specific housing requirements, such as a tank or terrarium with moist sand or substrate to burrow in, and their preferred diet of dried, dead gum leaves.
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The Spiny Leaf Insect, also known as the Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Australia is known for its peculiar insects, some colossal, some repulsive, and some cute. One such insect is the Spiny Leaf Insect, also known as the Giant Prickly Stick Insect or Macleay's Spectre. This large species of Australian stick insect is endemic to the rainforests of Australia, particularly in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland. It is also occasionally found in eastern Victoria and South Australia.
The female Spiny Leaf Insect is easily identifiable by its thorn-like spikes, which serve both defensive and camouflage purposes. Its long, rounded body can grow up to 20 cm (8 inches) in length, with numerous spines and expansions on the face and legs, including a tuft of spines on the conical occiput of the hypognathous head. The wings of the female are too small for flying, especially when carrying eggs. On the other hand, males are smaller and thinner, growing only about 11 cm (4.5 inches) in length. They lack thorny growths except for spikes around their faces, and possess long wings that enable them to be good flyers.
The Spiny Leaf Insect exhibits sexual dimorphism, with distinct physical differences between males and females. Both sexes, when threatened, adopt a defensive posture known as the "scorpion pose", where they stand on their front and middle legs, pointing their abdomen up or to the side. They also make clicking sounds and release a toffee-like defensive odour to ward off predators. Additionally, males may flash their wings open to startle potential threats.
The Spiny Leaf Insect's eggs are flicked by the female, which can sometimes be heard clicking against surfaces like glass. The insects are herbivores, feeding on Eucalyptus leaves in their native habitat. However, they can also survive on non-eucalypt leaves, although they may not grow as large or retain their natural colour.
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The St Andrew's Cross Spider, which creates a web resembling the Scottish flag
Australia is known for its diverse range of insects and spiders, some of which are peculiar and found only in Australia. One such spider is the St Andrews Cross Spider, which creates a web resembling the Scottish flag.
The St Andrews Cross Spider is named for the bluish-white cross-shaped pattern of silk through the centre of its web, which resembles the St Andrew's cross on the Scottish flag. This spider is found in eastern Australia, particularly in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Its habitat ranges from rainforest margins to open forests, heathlands, and even suburban gardens. The spider is often found in low bushes or shrubby vegetation.
The St Andrews Cross Spider is known for its unique hunting style. Unlike other spiders that chase their prey, this spider creates a web that serves as both a home and a trap. Its prey includes flies, moths, butterflies, bugs, and bees. When the prey gets caught in the web, the spider wraps it in silk before delivering a fatal bite.
The St Andrews Cross Spider exhibits interesting behaviour when it comes to mating. Mating occurs during the summer and autumn seasons, and it can be hazardous for the small male spiders. One or more males sit in the upper parts of the web and attract a receptive female by vibrating a specially constructed mating thread within the web.
The appearance of the St Andrews Cross Spider also varies by sex. Females have a silvery carapace and a silver, yellow, red, and black banded upper abdomen with two longitudinal yellow stripes below. The males, on the other hand, are brown and cream-coloured and significantly smaller in size. Young spiders are tan or creamy brown and do not create the cross-shaped pattern in their webs.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Australia is known for its diverse range of insects, some of which are huge.
Some of the big bugs in Australia include the Goliath Stick Insect, the Golden Orb Weaver, the Australian Burrowing Cockroach, and the Bulldog Ant.
Australia is also known for its unique and sometimes strange insects, including the Spiny Leaf Insect, the Common Garden Orb Weaver, and the Witchetty Grub, which is considered a delicacy by some.
