If you are like me, then you are not a fan of any creepy crawly things. And if that is the case then I have to warn you that this article may not be for you. The biggest bug to ever crawl the earth has been revealed and honestly it was a thing of my nightmares.
The Biggest Bug Ever Literally Terrifies Me
Even writing about this bug makes my skin crawl. You know the feeling. When you see a tick or some ants and then all of a sudden you can feel them crawling all over your skin. Well, this is kind of like that except that this bug is bigger. Much, much bigger than an ant or a tick.
This insect was believed to have lived around 300 million years ago. It existed mostly in Europe and in North America So, how big was the biggest bug ever? MSN shares that this bug is "the biggest land arthropod" found in history. The fossil records of this creature shows that it grew to "nearly 9 feet long and more than 100 pounds."
I am sorry but a bug that is bigger than me just won't do. Thank goodness these things are extinct. To put it into perspective for you, juvenile sharks are about 9 feet long. This bug was big as a juvenile shark! No thank you!
What Else Was Around During That Time?
Shutterstock Photo
Okay, if the bugs were 9 feet long that may make you wonder what was the size of every other creature? What else lived during the time of the biggest bug ever? Well National Geographic shares some insight on the matter. 300 million years ago it was the late Paleozoic era, during the Carboniferous Period. All sorts of plants and animals existed during this time. Britannica shares that it was a time for "diverse marine invertebrates." Some things that we know and love today, such as corals, existed during this time as well.
Unfortunately for us non bug lovers, insects diversified during this time. "Some scientists maintain that higher oxygen concentrations present in the atmosphere during the Carboniferous Period may have played a role in enabling these insects to grow so large." While it seems like we still maintain some of the diversity of insects from this time period, I am ecstatic that the insects did not maintain their massive size. I honestly think I would pass out if I saw a bug that was 9 feet long. Today, the biggest bug ever that I have seen is maybe a grasshopper, thank goodness.
