Top flight speed15 m/s
3.2 billionHair growths
2.1 hundredthsRifle bullets
3.4 tenthsSneeze velocities
About 54 km/h
Photo by Jude Infantini on Unsplash
Dragonfly
An ancient aerial predator with a 95% hunting success rate/Insects & Arachnids
Dragonflies have been flying for over 300 million years, predating dinosaurs by a comfortable margin. With a hunting success rate of up to 95%, they are among the most efficient predators on Earth. Each of their four wings can operate independently, allowing them to hover, fly backward, and change direction almost instantaneously.
Measurements
Wingspan1 tenths m
4Postage stamp widths
4.8 hundredthsSurfboards
3.6 tenthsRugby ball lengths
Typical species; some reach 16 cm
Body mass1 thousandths kg
2.4 billionthsSpace Stations
1.5 millionthsDairy cows
10 billionthsLocomotive weights
About 1 g
Wingbeat frequency30 Hz
16.7Walking footsteps
20Bicycle pedal cadences
10Jump rope turns
About 30 beats per second
Body length7 hundredths m
8.8 thousandthsSailboat lengths
7.4 tenthsChess kings
1.1 tenthsBaguettes
Common species average
Visual detection range12 m
13.1Walking canes
60Plier lengths
9.4 thousandthsBridge spans
Can spot prey at distance
Reaction time3 hundredths s
20 millionthsPomodoro timers
1000Lightning discharges
3.3 millionthsMarvel movies
About 30 ms to intercept prey