Insects are incredibly fascinating creatures. From the majestic monarch butterfly to the terrifying scuttling cockroach, they elicit outsized reactions from humans.
The smallest insect in the world is the fairy wasp Dicopomorpha echmepterygis. It is only 0.139 mm long and parasitizes other insects’ eggs.
Another contender is the North American feather-winged beetle Nanosella fungi which is about the size of a human hair.
Fairyflies
The smallest insect in the world is the male fairy fly (Dicopomorpha echmepterygis). It is 0.139 millimeters long and parasitizes the eggs of other insects. Its size, elongated body, and 10-segmented antennas make it look more like a fairy than an insect. These fairy flies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. They belong to the family Mymaridae and are sometimes known as fairy wasps.
Despite their small size, these flies have fully functional digestive, reproductive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. They also have wings, though they are too small to be seen by humans. Their wings also have tiny frills, which are thought to serve as a kind of paddle and reduce turbulence and drag on the wing flaps that occur several times per second.
There are over 1400 species of fairy flies. Most of them are only a millimeter or so in length. However, some are even smaller than that. The smallest one is the wingless male of Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, which is a tiny parasitic wasp. Its minuscule size and elongated body are reminiscent of the mythical fairy, which is why it is commonly called the fairies’ wasp.
These minuscule creatures are among the most common in the world, but they go unnoticed because of their diminutive size. They are also known as fairy wasps and are part of the large order of Hymenoptera. They are found all over the planet, from tropical rainforests to dry deserts.
Fairy flies have many different ways to minimize themselves to such an extent that they are the smallest insects in the world. They have fewer and littler cells, some of which have super-condensed DNA to shrink their nuclei. The axons of their neurons are also as thin as possible to reduce the number of signals they can send.
The tiniest fairy is known as Kikiki huna and was first discovered in 2000. It is around 250 micrometers in length, making it the smallest insect on record. Its name is a combination of two Hawaiian words, meaning “tiny bit.” Another incredibly tiny insect is the pygma mantis, which can be found in tropical habitats and feeds on decaying vegetation.
Micromoths
The world’s smallest moth, Stigmella maya, has a wingspan of just 2.8 millimeters. But this tiny insect is not the smallest in the order of Lepidoptera, which includes both butterflies and moths. That distinction goes to the pygmy sorrel moth, Johanssoniella acetosae, which boasts a wingspan of only 3.1 mm.
These diminutive insects play important but often overlooked roles in their ecosystems. Hovering near the bottom of the terrestrial food chain, micro-moths provide a host of nutrients to lizards, spiders, birds and other insects. Their populations are also susceptible to climate change, and shifts in their habitat could lead to unforeseen consequences for other species.
Although their small size makes these insects difficult to spot, they do make an appearance in our lives from time to time. During Moth Night, which takes place annually on three nights in late June and early July, people around the globe look out for moths, recording them when they are spotted. During this year’s event, people were urged to watch out for new arrivals, including the beautiful Western Pygmy Blue, whose name is not a reference to its size, but its shade of blue.
This particular moth has an interesting lifestyle, too, laying its eggs in the leaves of a specific type of shrub, Tecoma stans. This micromoth’s natural range extends from South America to Argentina, and the species is often found in urban areas. Its eggs hatch in the summer, and it feeds on the leaf-mining moths that can be found in its range.
Ying Chen is an insect enthusiast with a particular interest in the small wonders of nature. She studies the ecology of moths, and uses museum collections to reveal their hidden secrets. Ying’s work has been featured on ABC’s Scienceline, and she blogs about her passion for moths at Antomology.
Ying’s research on moths is supported by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. She would like to acknowledge the contributions of past curators of the department of lepidoptera, such as Don Davis, who donated more than a million moth specimens to the collection.
Flying insects
Insects are a huge part of the animal kingdom and we all love to see them at work. From the giant water bug to the teeny-tiny fairyfly, these insects can be truly spectacular and even magical. They can elicit outsized responses in us, from the delight of seeing a monarch butterfly or the horror at witnessing a scuttling cockroach.
Flying insects include all the creatures that have wings and can take to the air, including flies, bees, wasps, and dragonflies. These insects are a great way to pollinate plants and they can also be a nuisance around homes. There are many species of flying insects that have been around for a long time. Some of them have been seen in fossils that date back 300 million years.
There are few insects that have a larger wingspan than the white witch moth. This insect is in the Titanus genus and specimens have been found that are up to 6.6 inches long. These monsters are also called Goliath beetles because they can make a lot of noise when defending themselves by hissing before using their powerful jaws to defend themselves from predators.
These moths are typically white in color and can be found throughout the world. They are known for their ability to mimic bird calls and are a popular food for birds of prey. These moths also have a strong scent that helps them attract their potential prey.
Fairyflies are another group of insect that can be seen in almost every continent and country. They are parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside the eggs of other insects such as leafhoppers and planthoppers. The smallest fairyfly in the world, also known as the tinkerbella wasp, is the Dicopomorpha echmepterygis and is less than half an inch long.
The smallest insect in the world may not be the tiniest bug but it is certainly one of the most impressive. The bolbe pygmea mantis has only 10 millimeters of length but it can jump 200 times its own body size. This is equivalent to a human clearing 70 stories of an apartment building.
Weevils
Our next insect isn’t a fairy fly, but it’s still one of the world’s smallest insects. It’s a beetle in the genus Scydosella, and it has a body that measures between 0.181 and 0.224 millimeters. These tiny creatures are found in tropical and subtropical regions around the globe. Although they’re small, they’re not dangerous to humans and aren’t known to cause diseases in people or animals.
Weevils are beetles with long snout noses that burrow into foods or plants to lay eggs. They’re also a common pantry pest and infest food products like cereal grains, seeds, nuts, beans, fruit and vegetables. These beetles are in the family Curculionidae and are characterized by their small size, long snouts, and habit of chewing through hard materials.
They live in a variety of habitats and ecosystems around the world, from tropical rainforests to dry deserts. They’re also incredibly fast and can flap their wings up to 350 times per second. In fact, the wing beats of this tiny wasp can be measured using a high-speed camera. The result is stunning – the wasp moves faster than a human hair can grow.
Like other beetles, weevils have a three-stage life cycle: egg, larva, and pupa. The female weevil lays her eggs inside of a seed or grain kernel. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the food until it matures into a pupa. Then, the weevil develops a hard covering and transforms into an adult.
Like other beetles, weevils are a common household pest and can infest stored foods and crops. They’re attracted to warm, moist environments and often invade homes looking for food or shelter. You can help prevent weevil infestation by storing foods in sealed containers, caulking cracks, and ensuring that doors and windows close and seal properly. You can also trap weevils by laying pheromone lures near infested foods. Infested foods should be disposed of immediately as they can contaminate other items in your pantry.