Faster than the wind and some cars: the fastest insects on Earth (7 photos)

Nature is amazing. And much of it still remains beyond our understanding. And simple and familiar phenomena can be very surprising.





Like insects, for example. What seems interesting about them? They flutter, buzz, and some bite. But no: these are one of the most perfect creatures, since evolution affected them to a minimum. And some superpowers even evoke hidden thoughts about the extraterrestrial origin of these creatures.



Like, for example, the ability to develop incredible speed. Of course, some fly, others run, others jump. Therefore, when choosing record holders, we will focus on speed in relation to body size and force majeure, when the insect needs to give its all.

The fastest insects on the planet





Dragonfly. The average flight speed is 30 km/h, and the maximum can reach 70 km/h. There are also amazing specimens that can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h! A dragonfly makes 120-150 wing beats per second. It is possible to develop such speed by alternating flapping of the rear and front wings, and maneuverability is due to their use in turn. Dragonflies can easily fly away from their habitat at a distance of up to 1000 km.



Bee. Honey bees can fly at speeds of up to 60 km/h. But in their normal state, bees move more slowly because they carry a load. But in terms of overall flight duration, they are much ahead of dragonflies, because to collect 1 kg of natural delicacy they need to fly about 450 km. Just sweep the planet along the equator ten times.



Cockroach. This omnivorous, terrifying creature can change its running trajectory up to 25 times in a second! He is incredibly tenacious (able to live even without a head, simply dying of hunger). In a second he is able to cover a distance of up to 50 body lengths. In the case of a person, this would have to be a speed of 330 km/h.



Jumping beetle. This handsome owner of long legs rushes on them quite briskly, up to 8 km/h, so few prey can hide from such a hunter. The chances of saving small insects are reduced to zero by its ability to periodically switch to flight.



Horsefly. This winged parasite is practically blind from blood and does not notice anything when it eats. And it can be removed almost by hand. Hence the specific name. The speed is high, but uneven: varies from 20 to 70 km/h. But when it is necessary to catch up with a delicious prey, it rushes after it at a speed of over 140 km/h! Not every car can develop this.