{"id":2847,"date":"2020-12-20T15:06:45","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T15:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2022-08-12T13:25:21","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T13:25:21","slug":"the-longest-living-insects-these-5-animals-will-surprise-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingbugs.com\/the-longest-living-insects-these-5-animals-will-surprise-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The Longest Living Insects: These 5 Animals Will Surprise You!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/i>Share<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/i>Pin<\/span><\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/i>Reddit<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/i>Tweet<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/i>WhatsApp<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/i>Email<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
2 Shares<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Most of the insects that you see around have rather short lives. Many insects only have a lifespan of a few days, up to one year. We don’t notice it, because insects are soon being replaced by the next generation. Besides that, we often only see the adult stage of the insect: flies, mosquitos, beetles, and butterflies \u2014 all have a larval stage that is often longer than their adult lives. However, some insects have extremely long lives compared to the average lifespan of insects. What are the longest-living insects?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longest-living insect that we know is the Golden Buprestid, which can live up to 51 years. Most of his life they live in their larval stage burrowed in wood. Other long-living insects are termite queens (30 years), ant queens (28 years), and periodical cicadas (17 years). <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some insects have an incredibly long lifespan. To know that there are some insects now that are older than you! That is quite astonishing when you realise that most insects generally live only for 1 year. But how can they live such long lives? The way they live will surprise you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The general lifespan of insects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Insects have typically a lifespan of one year or less. Actually, oftentimes it is less than one year. There are also many insects that only live for several days. However, many times this is only the adult stage, but including the other life stages, an insect lives much longer \u2014 but still rather short compared to many other animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insects have generally three life stages. It starts off with an egg (not included in the lifespan). When it hatched it has a worm-like shape called a larva. These larvae are quite small and white, yellow, brown, or coloured somewhere in between. These larvae will eat continuously and will slowly grow \u2014 although some larvae will grow rather fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it is fattened up, it is time to turn into a pupa. From there, an adult insect will emerge (imago). With many insects, it will live in its larval stage for around 50% up to 95% of its total life span. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 insect species that have an extremely long lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, some insects have taken it to the extreme regarding total lifespan. They evolved to live extremely long. This takes up strange ways they live, and in many cases, it is still not fully understood. We will talk about 5 insect species that are exceptionally long living (at least compared to other insects). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Periodical Cicada (Magicicada spp.<\/em>): 17 years<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Periodical Cicada<\/a> is long believed to be the oldest insect species in the animal kingdom. There are three species that live for 17 years \u2014 M. septendecim, M. cassinii <\/em>and M. septendecula<\/em>. Or maybe I can better say: they emerge every 17 years. Millions of them in a single night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly all cicadas live for many years burrowed in the ground as larvae. They have a synchronized life where they all emerge at once. They will climb the trees with millions together. There they will have their final moult into a winged adult, and have a short adult life where they breed and lay eggs. Then, for 13 years or 17 years (depending on the species), they live as larvae again until the next time they emerge all at once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video below shows what this strange natural event looks like. But what is the purpose of this lifestyle? It is still not fully understood why these cicadas emerge at the same time with such a long time between the events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n