he Australian tiger beetle (Cicindela hudsoni) is considered the fastest running insect in the world, relative to its size. This 2cm-long beetle can reach speeds of up to 2.5 meters per second, which is equivalent to 125 body lengths per second. If scaled to human size, this would be comparable to running at 800 km/h, faster than a speeding bullet.
In absolute terms, tiger beetles can reach speeds of up to 5.5 miles per hour (8.85 km/h). This is about 120 times the length of its body each second. To put this into perspective:
If a human sprinter were to match the tiger beetle’s relative speed, they would need to run at 480 miles per hour (772 km/h).
Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson’s world record speed of 10.35 meters per second (23.1 mph) equates to 5.6 body lengths per second, while a tiger beetle with a body length of 10 millimeters running at 0.53 meters per second achieves 53.87 body lengths per second.
We recommend:
jeweled beetles, ground beetles, longhorn beetles, goliath beetle, stag beetle, carpet beetles
Unique pictorial atlases for identifying Beetles:
(2020) Tiger Beetles of the World, Cicindelidae, Illustrated guide to the genera
Books about Beetles
Unique pictorial atlases for identifying Beetles:
(2020) Tiger Beetles of the World, Cicindelidae, Illustrated guide to the genera
(2023) Tiger Beetles of Africa, Cicindelidae, Geographical guide to the family Cicindelidae
(2024) Tiger Beetles of Orient, Cicindelidae, Geographical guide to the family Cicindelidae
(2022) Ground Beetles of Africa, Afrotropical Region
(2022) Jewel Beetles of the World, Buprestidae, Illustrated guide to the Superfamily Buprestoidea
(2008) The Prionids of the World, Prioninae, Illustrated catalogue of the Beetles
(2010) The Prionids of the Neotropical region, Prioninae, Illustrated catalogue of the Beetles
Tiger Beetle top speed
In one study, a Chihuahuan tiger beetle was recorded running at 28.4 body lengths per second, which would be equivalent to 106.5 miles per hour (171.4 km/h) if scaled to the size of a cheetah.
It’s worth noting that at these high speeds, tiger beetles experience temporary blindness and must stop periodically to relocate their prey.
Tiger Beetle top speed
