The biggest insect ever was a "dragonfly"
eartharchives.orgI agree.
The problem is that the webpage says:
Line 11:
Line 44-46:<link href="index.html" rel="canonical" />
I'm not sure what the second link does, but the first definitively confuses the HN server.<div class='canonical-url'> /articles/the-biggest-insect-ever-was-a-huge-dragonfly/ </div>@OP: Is this your webpage? Do you know the owners? Can you fix it? If not, send an email to dang/tomhow so they can advice what to do.
There was a recent HN post where they checked the oxygen hypothesis (insects grew this large due to higher atmospheric oxygen levels) and it didn't hold up
An 18" dragonfly is terrifying
Why? They don't bite, or sting. And are wonderful to look at.
Around 1980 I had them race, escorting me, while I raced through the forest on a road bicycle. At around 50 kph, them following me like on rails, maybe half a meter from my face.
Really big, maybe half or a third of that size, in many different shiny color patterns.
They were curious, but not aggressive. Was fun having them like a halo around my head :-)
While they don't sting, a 45cm long dragonfly would have some pretty gnarly mandibles, and could bite if it decided you were a threat. Probably wouldn't be much fun.
But they didn't. Maybe they would if you tried to slap them away, or otherwise make movements which they percieved as threatening.
As it were they were just curiously following me because of my speed, maybe even had fun doing so?
That didn't happen if you'd just walk, or jog along that place. Then they ignored you.
I have no idea how much that is so it doesn't terrify me, but a 47 cm dragonfly is terrifying!
18 inches is 45 cm 72 cm is 28.3 in.
it was published over 4 years ago?