What is the smallest insect?

Bugs, Snails, Worms

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by Kate Simmons >> more about the author

What is the smallest insect you’ve ever seen?! A fly? An ant? A gnat? What if the smallest insect in the world were one you may not have seen? A bug so small it’s hard to catch a glimpse… It may be hard to imagine a bug that’s smaller than 1 millimeter, but the fairy fly is less than .4 millimeters long, with some thought to be under .2 millimeters in length! This fact prompts many people to call it the world’s smallest insect.

Another fun fact: Fairy flies are not flies at all! They are actually members of the wasp family! These insects can be found all over the world. They can be found on land and in water, where they are able to spend large amounts of time. They are also parasites--they require a host to survive. This is why fairy flies lay their eggs inside the eggs of other insects! When the larvae hatch, they eat the inside of the host egg for food!

While the fairy fly is the world’s smallest insect, there a few runners up! For example, the feather wing beetle is only .25 millimeters long. Some scientists think these beetles may even be smaller than fairy flies, but for now, the fairy fly is considered by many to be the “smallest insect!”

To get an idea of exactly how small the world’s smallest insect is, take out a ruler and look at those tiny lines that appear in between centimeters (make sure you’re not on the side that measures in inches). If in doubt, ask a grown-up to help you find the millimeters. Millimeters are the smallest units of measurement on a typical ruler. Take a good look at the amount of space taken up by one millimeter! Now imagine an insect that is smaller than this tiny unit of measurement!

The next time you’re outside, be on the lookout for tiny bugs. Take a ruler with you if you like. Chances are, most of the bugs you see will be longer than one millimeter. But you never know what fascinating itsy bitsy critters you may encounter…!