What is the biggest insect?

Can you tell me what kind of insect this is?

• We were lounging outside when we saw this really weird insect, this is unlike any insect we have ever seen. I am not an expert in insects but I do know the common ones and this one is not common to me at all. For one, the insect is strutting around our table in a wedding dress, it looks like one to me that is. And it’s not afraid to be touched or photographed as other insects usually are. It has six legs and tail feathers with three spikes, sort of fanning out like a peacock’s. There are two distinct black dots on the part where the tail and body intersects and inline with its eyes, the body is spread out like that of a cobra’s and its whole body save for the dots and its eyes is snowy white. The insect is about 3/4 of an inch long and its really pretty. The pictures can be seen here, I'll add the video in a little while: http://www.bethumbed.com/insect-bride/

• Answer:

  It's definitely an immature insect in the Order Hemiptera ("true bugs"). More specifically, it might be in the Family Psyllidae (plant lice) or Flatidae (plant hoppers: http://bugguide.net/node/view/4519/bgpage ). It's difficult to tell with immatures because they haven't yet developed some of their adult characteristics that you can use to tell them apart. Also, most of the pictures on BugGuide.net are from North America, so there might not be an exact match for your insect on that site. Many Hemiptera have white waxy coverings when they are young; this helps protect them from predators. The little nubs on both sides of the body are the wing pads that will develop into proper wings after another moult or two. Those wings will then form a sort of tent covering most of the body.