The world's largest flying aquatic
insect, with huge, nightmarish pincers, has been
discovered in China's Sichuan province, experts
say.
According to the Insect Museum of West China,
local villagers in the outskirts of Chengdu handed
over "weird insects that resemble giant
dragonflies with long teeth" earlier this month.
Several of these odd critters were examined by
the museum and found to be unusually large
specimens of the giant dobsonfly, which is native
to China and Vietnam.
The largest one measured 21
centimeters (8.27 inches) when its
wings were open, according to the
museum, busting the original record
for largest aquatic insect held by a
South American helicopter damselfly,
which had a wingspan of 19.1
centimeters (7.5 inches).
Large enough to cover the face of a
human adult, this scary-looking insect
is also known among entomologists
as an indicator of water quality, says
the museum.
The giant dobsonfly makes its home in
bodies of clean water and is highly sensitive to
any changes in the water's pH as well as the
presence of trace elements of pollutants. If the
water is slightly contaminated, the giant
dobsonfly will move on to seek cleaner waters.
The insect can be found in other provinces in
China, India's Assam state, and in northern
Vietnam. This is the first time it has appeared in
Sichuan province.
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