INSECT SIZE COMPARISON GAME
Size It Up Insects
Compare the tiny real-world scale of insects and other small creatures. Resize a body-length or wingspan silhouette beside a reference and see how much a few millimetres can change the picture.
How to play the insect size comparison game
Insect rounds use the same simple idea as the main game: one fixed reference, one target silhouette, and one honest visual estimate. Read whether the round compares body length or wingspan, resize the violet target, and lock in to reveal the selected measurement.
Small objects make fine differences feel dramatic. Start with the broad relationship before chasing millimetres. A butterfly’s wingspan and a beetle’s body length are different kinds of scale, even when their silhouettes occupy a similar area.
Read the measure
Check body length or wingspan before you move the target.
Use the reference
Let the known small creature give your eye a stable ratio.
Reveal the detail
See the red outline, chosen value, error, and score.
049 / SCALE LIBRARYWhy tiny bodies are so difficult to picture
Most insects are seen close up or from far away, never beside a reliable ruler. Macro photographs enlarge them, while a quick glimpse outside gives you no sense of centimetres or millimetres. The game makes those hidden units visible through comparison.
Wings, antennae, legs, and body length can all change the silhouette. The item note tells you what counts, so your estimate is about the selected measurement rather than every part your eye can see.
Build a small-scale mental ruler
Use familiar objects such as a fingernail, grain of rice, or phone edge as a mental starting point, then let the game’s reference supply the precise relationship. A few repeatable insect anchors are more useful than trying to remember every species number.
Compare insects by ratios: slightly smaller, about equal, twice the wingspan, or several times the body length. The scale becomes less abstract when you describe it relationally.
Let each tiny reveal sharpen your eye
The reveal shows exactly where your guess drifted. If the red body is only a little longer than your target, a small correction matters; if the wingspan is twice as wide, the error was probably about the measurement type rather than a few millimetres.
The library records selected adult values and the source note where needed. That makes the insect page a guide to scale without pretending that every individual insect has one fixed size.
A tiny daily puzzle with unlimited practice
Five rounds are enough to make a small creature surprisingly competitive. For more practice, choose Insects in Unlimited and repeat the difficult size relationships without changing your Daily streak.
Mix butterflies, beetles, flies, and other small creatures. Switching between body length and wingspan teaches you to read the axis before you trust your first impression.
Insects in the Size It Up library
Every entry below is part of the playable library and keeps a traceable measurement record. Open the full list to browse this category by real-world scale.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
26 cmQueen Alexandra's Birdwing: 260 mm wingspan for the selected adult female. Selected 260 mm within the published female wingspan 250-280 mm; males reach about 200 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread.
Giant Swallowtail
17.5 cmGiant Swallowtail: 175 mm wingspan for the selected adult male. Selected 175 mm for a large male; the published male wingspan averages about 150 mm and reaches 190 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread; trailing hindwing tails do not define this span.
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
2.1 cmBuff-tailed Bumblebee: 21 mm body length for the selected large adult. Selected 21 mm within published 20–22 mm range. Head to abdomen tip; wings, legs and antennae excluded.
Redbanded Thrips
0.1 cmRedbanded Thrips: 1.2 mm body length for the selected adult female. Published adult female length about 1.2 mm; the male is smaller. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, terminal setae, fringed wings and legs excluded.
Booklouse
0.1 cmBooklouse: 1 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length about 1 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded.
Browse the full insect libraryHide the full insect library
| Object | Measurement | Notes & sources |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtailbody length or wingspan · 11 cm | 11 cm | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: 110 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 110 mm within published wingspan 85–140 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip; trailing hindwing tails do not define this span. |
| Peacock Butterflybody length or wingspan · 6.9 cm | 6.9 cm | Peacock Butterfly: 69 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 69 mm within published wingspan 63–75 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| European Hornetbody length or wingspan · 3.5 cm | 3.5 cm | European Hornet: 35 mm body length for the selected large adult. Published upper length 35 mm; a large adult, not a typical worker. Head to abdomen tip; wings, legs and antennae excluded. |
| Stag Beetlebody length or wingspan · 6.5 cm | 6.5 cm | Stag Beetle: 65 mm length including jaws for the selected male. Selected 65 mm within the published 50–75 mm adult length range. Jaw tips to abdomen tip; legs and antennae excluded. |
| Buff-tailed Bumblebeebody length or wingspan · 2.1 cm | 2.1 cm | Buff-tailed Bumblebee: 21 mm body length for the selected large adult. Selected 21 mm within published 20–22 mm range. Head to abdomen tip; wings, legs and antennae excluded. |
| European Praying Mantisbody length or wingspan · 6 cm | 6 cm | European Praying Mantis: 60 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 60 mm within published adult range 50–65 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and grasping legs excluded. |
| Emperor Dragonflybody length or wingspan · 7.8 cm | 7.8 cm | Emperor Dragonfly: 78 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length 78 mm. Head to abdomen tip; wings and legs excluded. |
| American Cockroachbody length or wingspan · 4 cm | 4 cm | American Cockroach: 40 mm body length for the selected adult. Published average adult head-to-abdomen length 40 mm (Biodiversity of Singapore, Diagnosis). Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Honeybeebody length or wingspan · 1.2 cm | 1.2 cm | Honeybee: 12 mm body length for the selected adult. Published length 12 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Mourning Cloakbody length or wingspan · 8 cm | 8 cm | Mourning Cloak: 80 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 80 mm within published wingspan 2.5–3.5 inches (63.5–88.9 mm). Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| Red Admiralbody length or wingspan · 7.1 cm | 7.1 cm | Red Admiral: 71 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 71 mm within published wingspan 64–78 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| German Cockroachbody length or wingspan · 1.3 cm | 1.3 cm | German Cockroach: 13 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 13 mm within published adult range 10–15 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Small White Butterflybody length or wingspan · 4.8 cm | 4.8 cm | Small White Butterfly: 48 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 48 mm within published wingspan 38–57 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| Large Milkweed Bugbody length or wingspan · 1.5 cm | 1.5 cm | Large Milkweed Bug: 15 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 15 mm within the source’s stated 10–18 mm adult length range. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Common Earwigbody length or wingspan · 1.3 cm | 1.3 cm | Common Earwig: 13 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 13 mm within the published head/body range 10–15 mm. Head to abdomen tip; pincers, antennae and legs excluded. |
| Common Fruit Flybody length or wingspan · 0.3 cm | 0.3 cm | Common Fruit Fly: 2.5 mm body length for the selected adult. Published body length 2.5 mm. Head to abdomen tip; folded wing tips, legs and antennae excluded. |
| House Cricketbody length or wingspan · 2 cm | 2 cm | House Cricket: 20 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 20 mm within published house cricket length 19–22 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, rear appendages and legs excluded. |
| Southern Wood Antbody length or wingspan · 0.6 cm | 0.6 cm | Southern Wood Ant: 6 mm body length for the selected worker. Selected 6 mm within typical worker range 4–6 mm; not the 10 mm major worker. Head to abdomen tip; raised legs and antennae excluded. |
| Luna Mothbody length or wingspan · 9 cm | 9 cm | Luna Moth: 90 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 90 mm within published adult wingspan 75–105 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip; trailing hindwing tails do not define this span. |
| Blue-tailed Damselflybody length or wingspan · 3.1 cm | 3.1 cm | Blue-tailed Damselfly: 31 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length 31 mm. Head to abdomen tip; wings and legs excluded. |
| Monarch Butterflybody length or wingspan · 9 cm | 9 cm | Monarch Butterfly: 90 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 90 mm within published 2.5–4.0 inch wingspan (63.5–101.6 mm). Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| Black Garden Antbody length or wingspan · 0.3 cm | 0.3 cm | Black Garden Ant: 3 mm body length for the selected worker. Published worker length 3 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. Side outline rotated to align the body. |
| Oriental Beetlebody length or wingspan · 0.8 cm | 0.8 cm | Oriental Beetle: 8.1 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 8.1 mm within the published adult range 7-11 mm. Head to elytra tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Devil's Flower Mantisbody length or wingspan · 13 cm | 13 cm | Devil's Flower Mantis: 130 mm body length for the selected adult female. Published adult female length about 130 mm; males reach about 100 mm. Head to wing tip along the body axis; antennae and the raptorial forelegs are excluded. |
| Brown Marmorated Stink Bugbody length or wingspan · 1.7 cm | 1.7 cm | Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: 17 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult length about 17 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. Dorsal outline rotated to align the body. |
| Puriri Mothbody length or wingspan · 15 cm | 15 cm | Puriri Moth: 150 mm wingspan for the selected adult female. Published average female wingspan 150 mm; males average 100 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| Giant Swallowtailbody length or wingspan · 17.5 cm | 17.5 cm | Giant Swallowtail: 175 mm wingspan for the selected adult male. Selected 175 mm for a large male; the published male wingspan averages about 150 mm and reaches 190 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread; trailing hindwing tails do not define this span. |
| Common House Mosquitobody length or wingspan · 0.5 cm | 0.5 cm | Common House Mosquito: 5 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 5 mm within the published adult range 3-7 mm. Head to abdomen tip; proboscis, wings, antennae and legs excluded. Side outline rotated to align the body. |
| Booklousebody length or wingspan · 0.1 cm | 0.1 cm | Booklouse: 1 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length about 1 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Seven-spot Ladybirdbody length or wingspan · 0.7 cm | 0.7 cm | Seven-spot Ladybird: 6.6 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 6.6 mm within the published adult range 6-8 mm. Head to elytra tip in side view; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Redbanded Thripsbody length or wingspan · 0.1 cm | 0.1 cm | Redbanded Thrips: 1.2 mm body length for the selected adult female. Published adult female length about 1.2 mm; the male is smaller. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, terminal setae, fringed wings and legs excluded. |
| Marmalade Hoverflybody length or wingspan · 1 cm | 1 cm | Marmalade Hoverfly: 9.8 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 9.8 mm within the published adult range 9-12 mm. Head to abdomen tip; wings, antennae and legs excluded. |
| Great Diving Beetlebody length or wingspan · 4.4 cm | 4.4 cm | Great Diving Beetle: 44 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 44 mm at the top of the published adult range 38-44 mm. Head to elytra tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Flower Longhorn Beetlebody length or wingspan · 0.7 cm | 0.7 cm | Flower Longhorn Beetle: 7.3 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 7.3 mm within the published adult range 7-13 mm. Head to elytra tip; the long antennae and the legs are excluded. Outline rotated to align the body. |
| Click Beetlebody length or wingspan · 0.9 cm | 0.9 cm | Click Beetle: 8.9 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 8.9 mm within the published adult range 7.5-11 mm. Head to elytra tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Human Fleabody length or wingspan · 0.2 cm | 0.2 cm | Human Flea: 1.95 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 1.95 mm within the published adult range 1.5-4 mm. Head to abdomen tip in side view; bristles and legs excluded. |
| Red Flour Beetlebody length or wingspan · 0.3 cm | 0.3 cm | Red Flour Beetle: 3.45 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 3.45 mm within the published adult range 3-4 mm. Head to elytra tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Blue Morphobody length or wingspan · 14 cm | 14 cm | Blue Morpho: 140 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 140 mm within the published adult wingspan of 5-8 inches (127-203 mm). Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Japanese Rhinoceros Beetlebody length or wingspan · 5.5 cm | 5.5 cm | Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle: 55 mm length including horn for the selected male. Selected 55 mm within the published male range 40-80 mm. Horn tip to elytra tip; the male's head horn is included, antennae and legs excluded. |
| Western Flower Thripsbody length or wingspan · 0.1 cm | 0.1 cm | Western Flower Thrips: 1.4 mm body length for the selected adult female. Published adult female length about 1.4 mm; the male is about 1 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, fringed wings and legs excluded. |
| Firebratbody length or wingspan · 1.2 cm | 1.2 cm | Firebrat: 11.5 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 11.5 mm within the published adult range 10-15 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, tail filaments and legs excluded. |
| Queen Alexandra's Birdwingbody length or wingspan · 26 cm | 26 cm | Queen Alexandra's Birdwing: 260 mm wingspan for the selected adult female. Selected 260 mm within the published female wingspan 250-280 mm; males reach about 200 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread. |
| Annam Stick Insectbody length or wingspan · 10.3 cm | 10.3 cm | Annam Stick Insect: 103 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 103 mm within the published adult range 100-120 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and the forward-stretched legs are excluded. |
| Minotaur Beetlebody length or wingspan · 2.4 cm | 2.4 cm | Minotaur Beetle: 24 mm length including horns for the selected male. Selected 24 mm at the top of the published adult range 15-24 mm. Horn tips to elytra tip; the male's three forward horns are included, antennae and legs excluded. |
| Head Lousebody length or wingspan · 0.2 cm | 0.2 cm | Head Louse: 2.2 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 2.2 mm within the published adult range 2-3 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. |
| Bed Bugbody length or wingspan · 0.5 cm | 0.5 cm | Bed Bug: 4.6 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 4.6 mm within the published adult range 4-5 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. Dorsal outline rotated to align the body. |
| Bullet Antbody length or wingspan · 2.8 cm | 2.8 cm | Bullet Ant: 28 mm body length for the selected adult worker. Selected 28 mm within the published worker range 18-30 mm. Head to gaster tip; mandibles, antennae and legs excluded. |
| Death's-head Hawkmothbody length or wingspan · 11.8 cm | 11.8 cm | Death's-head Hawkmoth: 118 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 118 mm at the top of the published wingspan 80-120 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread; legs and antennae excluded. |
| Common Eastern Fireflybody length or wingspan · 1.1 cm | 1.1 cm | Common Eastern Firefly: 10.7 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 10.7 mm within the published adult range 9-19 mm. Front edge of the pronotum, which covers the head, to the abdomen tip; open wings, antennae and legs excluded. Outline rotated to align the body. |
Insect entries identify the selected body measurement, source record, silhouette record, and license information.
Tips for better insect size estimates
- 01
Read body length or wingspan before adjusting the silhouette.
- 02
Use the reference to establish the broad ratio first.
- 03
Do not let enlarged photographs reset your sense of millimetres.
- 04
Separate wingspan from body length when judging insects.
- 05
Use Unlimited for repeated practice with tiny comparisons.
Questions about Size It Up Insects
What does the insect game compare?
Each round compares either body length or wingspan, and the selected dimension is named in the game and library.
How many insect entries are playable?
The current insect schedule contains 49 playable entries. The page count comes from the actual game library.
Why are insects hard to estimate?
Most insects are not seen next to a ruler, and photographs can enlarge them dramatically. The game restores a shared scale through silhouettes.
Can I practise more insect rounds?
Yes. Choose Insects in Unlimited mode to continue after the daily five.
Are insect sizes fixed?
The game uses a selected adult value and a named measurement. Individual insects vary, so the result is a documented comparison anchor.