Manticora latipennis

This giant and peculiar beetle is collected from Zambia's Kafue National Park with the help of an African entomologist. It is the world's largest carnivorous beetle and very fierce. The first word of its name, Manticora, comes from Manticore, a beast with the head of a human, body of a lion and a tail of the head of a scorpion. It was thought to come from the heart of the earth in ancient times, and is used in many video games today. The discoverer named the beetle after such a monster to express his awe for it. It is indeed a fearsome beetle. The male has a huge head and a pair of sickle-shaped jaws with large teeth inside. These asymmetrical and extremely large jaws are real killing tools. In the African wilderness, not only insects, but even small animals such as rats and lizards, are its foods. Latipennis, the second word of its name, refers to its wide back. The body up to 6-7cm long and six flexible legs make this terrible killer a "tiger" among insects.