Body length3 hundredths m
6.1 thousandthsCanoes
882 billionthsEnglish Channel crossings
2.5Skittles
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Jewel Beetle
An iridescent insect that inspired bulletproof color technology/Insects & Arachnids
Jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) are named for their glossy, iridescent exoskeletons, which display vivid metallic greens, blues, and golds. A typical jewel beetle is about 2 to 4 cm long. The color comes not from pigments but from nanostructures in the exoskeleton that diffract light, a principle that has inspired developments in anticounterfeit technology. In some Asian cultures, jewel beetle wing cases have been used in textiles and jewelry for centuries. The family contains over 15,000 known species worldwide.
Measurements
Body width1 hundredths m
1.5 thousandthsAmbulance lengths
617 millionthsTractor trailer lengths
472 trillionthsGreat Walls of China
Body mass2 thousandths kg
20 quadrillionthsReservoir water masses
16.7 quadrillionNuclear pore complexes
513 millionthsGallons of milk
Wing case length2.5 hundredths m
313 millionthsCity blocks
2.5 hundredthsTuba heights
5.1 thousandthsCanoes
Known species15,000 species
278African countries
1.5 tenthsHairs on a head
10.4Minutes in a day