All creatures, great and small :: These tiniest of joint-legged creatures are everywhere. You won’t likely see one. And that’s the way they like it.
I have been a student of biology since 1966 and had not heard of these remarkably miniaturized insects whose bodies have internal “systems” that operate pretty much by diffusion. They have even jettisoned nuclei from their few neurons to conserve space.
And they are so small and light that they basically FLOAT in air and their lacy “wings” are more like oars to paddle the air they are suspended in.
A friend introduced me a couple of weeks ago. He is making a model of one from scratch. I will show it to you here (both of you who think this is really KEWL!) when he completes it.
This video (and sidebar transcript) describes many of the unique features that are currently known about this tiny parasitoid wasp. To help resuscitate your sense of awe, I offer this pointer to poke you with a stick and wake you up:
A new species discovered in 2013 was given the name Tinkerbella nana. The world is unbelievably diverse and inventive and full of whimsy! Let’s keep our eyes open!
Fred, You have given us another insight into the natural world. I hope this continues after your move. As I recall, you were interested in tardigrades. In wondering which is smaller, I learned this from AI:
**Fairyflies** (also known as **fairy wasps**) belong to the family **Mymaridae**. These tiny insects are found worldwide in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Their body lengths typically range from **0.5 to 1.0 mm** (0.020 to 0.039 inches), making them incredibly small. In fact, they include the world's smallest known insect, measuring only **0.139 mm** (0.0055 inches) in length, as well as the smallest known flying insect, which is a mere **0.15 mm** (0.0059 inches) long¹.
On the other hand, **tardigrades**, those resilient eight-legged micro-animals, are usually about **0.5 mm** (0.020 inches) long when fully grown. These plump creatures have four pairs of legs, each ending in claws or suction disks. Tardigrades are found in diverse and extreme conditions, and they're practically unstoppable. The good news is that they're harmless and often go unnoticed due to their microscopic size²³.
In summary, while both fairyflies and tardigrades are incredibly small, fairyflies are even tinier than tardigrades! 🌟🦠
Tinier than tardigrades. I’m using that!
That was fascinating Fred! I always puzzled over how a multicellular organism can be so small. That video was very informative on that subject.
Fred, You have given us another insight into the natural world. I hope this continues after your move. As I recall, you were interested in tardigrades. In wondering which is smaller, I learned this from AI:
**Fairyflies** (also known as **fairy wasps**) belong to the family **Mymaridae**. These tiny insects are found worldwide in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Their body lengths typically range from **0.5 to 1.0 mm** (0.020 to 0.039 inches), making them incredibly small. In fact, they include the world's smallest known insect, measuring only **0.139 mm** (0.0055 inches) in length, as well as the smallest known flying insect, which is a mere **0.15 mm** (0.0059 inches) long¹.
On the other hand, **tardigrades**, those resilient eight-legged micro-animals, are usually about **0.5 mm** (0.020 inches) long when fully grown. These plump creatures have four pairs of legs, each ending in claws or suction disks. Tardigrades are found in diverse and extreme conditions, and they're practically unstoppable. The good news is that they're harmless and often go unnoticed due to their microscopic size²³.
In summary, while both fairyflies and tardigrades are incredibly small, fairyflies are even tinier than tardigrades! 🌟🦠
Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/4/2024
(1) Fairyfly - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairyfly.
(2) Tardigrade - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade.
(3) 13 Terrific Tardigrade Facts - Fact Animal. https://factanimal.com/tardigrade/.