Many people still believe that only large animals are mighty. However, scientists have announced that the tiny insect below leads the list of the strongest species in the world.
After this discovery, phrases like “strong as an ox” or “strong as a bear” may no longer hold true. Animals like elephants or bears are not actually the strongest. That title belongs to the strawberry bug. Surprisingly, the strawberry bug is a tiny insect, measuring only about 0.2 – 1.5 mm (equivalent to a grain of sand).
Strawberry bugs are only the size of a grain of sand. (Photo: Pixabay)
Why Does a Tiny Creature Have Such Great Strength?
The reason scientists consider the strawberry bug to be the strongest creature on the planet is that it can lift 1,180 times its own body weight. Scientists report that the strawberry bug weighs less than 25 micrograms. This means that the weight lifted by the strawberry bug is equivalent to an adult man lifting 82 tons.
A strawberry bug can be so strong because of its higher surface area to volume ratio. Additionally, the small body of the strawberry bug does not expend much strength to move, allowing it to manipulate objects much heavier than itself.
A strawberry bug can lift objects weighing 1,180 times its body weight. (Photo: Pixabay)
In fact, the body of the strawberry bug is lighter in comparison to its volume when compared to other animals. Structurally, insects do not have an internal skeleton like vertebrates; instead, they have a hard exoskeleton. Because they lack the weight of internal bones, insects can contain a greater amount of muscle.
Thus, the ability of the strawberry bug to lift objects many times its own weight is due to their lightweight and the absence of an internal skeleton, allowing for a higher muscle mass, which in turn grants them significant strength to move heavy objects. Thanks to this extraordinary strength, the strawberry bug has become the strongest tiny creature on the planet.
Where Do Strawberry Bugs Typically Live?
Strawberry bugs help disperse seeds and improve soil structure. (Photo: Pixabay).
Strawberry bugs typically live on the ground and are the most common species among soil-dwelling arthropods in forest areas. They also contribute to seed dispersal, improve soil structure, and reduce insect larvae and parasites harmful to both humans and livestock.
They have a low metabolic rate, slow development, and low reproductive capacity. The development time from egg to adulthood for strawberry bugs can range from a few months to 2 years. They undergo 6 active stages: the pre-larval stage, larval stage, 3 pupal stages, and adulthood. According to scientists, strawberry bugs have existed on Earth for approximately 300-400 million years.
