Compare an elephant to an ant. Who is stronger? Well, obviously the elephant. But what about if we look at relative strength? Relative strength is how strong something is compared to its body weight. Insects may be small, but don't let that fool you. Some of the strongest animals in the world are insects.
Insects are different to other animals. They are invertebrates. That means that they do not have a spine. Vertebrates, like humans, do.
Have you seen an ant carrying a leaf or a piece of food? Ants have impressive strength for their size. The leafcutter ant is the strongest ant in the world. It can carry up to 50 times its body weight. It carries these heavy things using only its jaws. That would be like a human lifting a truck with his or her teeth. That is an easy way to decapitate yourself!
Studies have shown that the neck is the strongest part of an ant. An ant's neck can hold 5,000 times its own body weight. That is like a human weighing 150 pounds (68.04 kg) holding 750,000 pounds (340,194 kg) with his or her neck.
Even stronger than the leafcutter ant is the rhinoceros beetle. It has the nickname Hercules beetle because of its extreme strength. It can lift 850 times its own weight. If an elephant could do the same thing, it would be able to carry 850 elephants on its back.
Although they look tough, they are harmless. They cannot bite you or hurt you with their horns. They use their strength to dig into soil to escape danger. They stay hidden under logs during the day, and come out at night.
But none of these insects compare to the strongest animal in the whole world. The dung beetle is stronger than any other animal. Dung beetles can pull 1,141 times their own body weight. The females use their strength to dig tunnels in the ground. The males fight for the females. They use their horns to push each other.
Tests were done in London, UK to find the strongest animal. They found that diet was important for the insects. They gave one group of beetles a healthy diet. They gave another group a bad diet. They found that just a few days of eating unhealthily reduced their strength. That is a good lesson for us too!
Fleas have caused lots of problems for humans. For one, they are responsible for spreading diseases. But that doesn’t mean that they are not impressive. Fleas can leap over 80 times their own height.
To jump so far, they compress their skeletal structure. This acts like a spring, and they throw themselves into the air.
People don't like insects. They find them gross and annoying. But that does not mean that they are not impressive.