10 Weird Australian Insects You Won’t Believe Exist

There are some unusual insects worldwide, but as always, Australia seems to take the cake for some of the most peculiar specimens. On this continent live species that wouldn’t and shouldn’t survive anywhere else in the world (or at least that’s what people are hoping for). Here you can encounterer some of the most colossal bugs, some of the most repulsive, some of the cutest too, and some that look like they don’t belong in this dimension. We bet you want to see. So without further ado, here are 10 of Australia’s weirdest insects you won’t believe actually exist.

10. Giant Centipede

Right off the bat, we take the creep factor and crank it up to 11. You can find this centipede all around Australia. It’s essentially what nightmares are made of. Whenever there’s a ghoulishly creepy scene in a horror movie, you’re bound to notice these crawling around like fast, wobbly pieces of terror. When Franklin Roosevelt famously said that “the only thing we need to fear is fear itself”, he didn’t have one of these bad boys dangling in front of his face, or even worse – quickly making its way towards his ear. The fact that they’re nocturnal makes it even worse – imagine a 15-centimetre centipede crawling on your face while you’re sleeping. Oh, the humanity!

9. Australian Earthworms

You may think movies and video games have prepared us for a battle with giant worms, but we can almost guarantee you’ll lose your grip once you see one of these genetic monstrosities. Australian earthworms look like they’ve been grown in a lab and then dipped into a vat of radioactive goo. With an average length of 1 meter, and the ability to stretch their bodies to look much, much bigger, these disgusting creatures are completely harmless. Yet, they make the mutated worms in Chernobyl look like common fish bait. However, if you’re thinking of going fishing using one of these colossi, we’d recommend getting a meat hook—a massive one.

8. Australian Witchetty Grubs

Maggots are revolting, but at least they’re small, right? Hehe – wrong! Australian Witchetty Grubs are huge, and just two or three of them can fill the palm of your hand. Because they’re so fat and (apparently) savoury, they are considered a protein-rich delicacy by many. If eating weird bugs is your thing, by all means, go for it. Otherwise, if you’re looking for protein, we recommend eating a nice lean chicken fillet or drink a protein shake.

7. Bulldog Ants

Ants are a pest, but in most cases, they’re more of a nuisance than an actual danger (ant control is still recommended if you’re struggling with them, though). Not bulldog ants, though. They’re little evil monsters with huge mandibles coming straight from hell to torment us during the hot summer days. Bulldog ants are extremely aggressive and wouldn’t hesitate to attack, even unprovoked. And because ants are so good at cooperation, if you get bitten by one, you can expect bites from some of its other friends in the neighbourhood. So, yes – staying away could be best.

6. Burrowing Cockroach

Cockroaches are among the planets’ nastiest pests (we should know – cockroach extermination is one of our most commonly used services). With their chitin shells and impertinent attitude, they score pretty high in annoyance level. And when you want to crank up the terrifying-meter, all you have to do is add size. The result is an anxiety-inducing piece of horror that perfectly fits in the palm of your hand. Enjoy!

5. Common Garden Orb Weaver

Spiders can be pretty scary in their own right. And Australia has some of the most poisonous spider species in Australia. This is not the reason why the common garden orb weaver enters this list. However, the fact that it weaves orbs and sometimes carries its prey with it so it can snack on it when it gets hungry is something that truly separates it from other spiders. Add that to the fact it’s pretty common (hence the name), and you can get why this little bugger can ruin your morning stroll in the garden completely.

4. Goliath Stick Insect

With a name like this, you can easily imagine what kind of creature we’re talking about. Everyone’s seen a praying mantis. Well, the Goliath is a lot bigger and has the same excellent natural camouflage, making it difficult to distinguish when it hides in green plants. The fact that it has limbs the size of branches makes it really weird and a true contender for the “nature, are you for real?” award.

3. Hercules Moth

Moths are one of the most annoying pests when it comes to your wardrobe. Finding out your favourite shirt has been half-eaten is enough to ruin anyone’s day. It’s also irritating having moths fly around the lamp during the hot summer evening. However, this is nothing compared to having a moth with a 27-centimetre wingspan fly into your face. That can lead you to post-traumatic stress disorder. We just imagined a perfect scene for a horror movie – a room full of these and a person with no means of escape. Sometimes we’re too cruel.

2. Loboscelidia Wasp

Wasps are like the bouncers of the insect world. They have a much better intimidation factor than bees (unless you’re allergic). Their sound, their looks, their aggressive behaviour – everything about them speaks “stay away”. What’s scarier than a wasp? A wasp with horns. The Loboscelidia wasp looks like it has escaped some hellish nest and has barely been studied, so we know very little about this weird diabolical creature.

1. Extatosoma Tiaratum

If we were to show you a picture of this stick insect without any further explanation, you’d probably think it was photoshopped. The sheer look of this Australian walking stick screams “I don’t exist”. We could barely believe this creature was real. It looks like something a kid might do in arts and crafts class. Nature truly is amazing!