Why Can’t Insects Reach Huge Sizes?

We are all at home in this hot weather We must have thrown out at least one bug isn’t it? What if they weren’t so small, what would we do?

They would probably eat us, but fortunately, such a thing is not possible. We say it is not possible because Insects cannot reach sizes like us. Really, why?

In the past, especially during the Permian period, a giant dragonfly species called Meganeuropsis Permiana lived.

These dragonflies could reach a wingspan of 75 cm and a weight of 450 grams. However, nowadays Even large insects like the Atlas moth It can’t be this big. There are several theories to understand why insects cannot reach these sizes.

One theory is that insect exoskeletons are larger Their bodies are not strong enough to support towards. Arthropods living in the sea can be larger because the water supports the weight of their bodies.

But on land, for larger insects thicker exoskeletons would be required. From Arizona State University, Dr. As Jon Harrison explains, this theory may not be entirely accurate because larger arthropods would be expected to have thicker exoskeletons, but the data do not support this.

Does the respiratory system of insects hinder their growth?

Another theory is respiratory system of insects, that it hinders their growth. Unlike humans, insects receive oxygen through holes on the sides of their bodies.

Oxygen entering through these holes is carried through air-filled tubes called tracheoles. tubes, divides into very small branches and provides oxygen to every cell. In larger insects, these tracheoles may not be able to carry enough oxygen.

One of the reasons why insects were larger in the past was that oxygen level in the atmosphere It may be higher.

Dr. According to Harrison’s statements, in the late Paleozoic period, the oxygen level in the atmosphere rose up to 32%. Today, this rate is 21%. High oxygen levels allowed insects to reach larger sizes.

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