Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Some Australian species sprint at about 2.5 metres per second. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Institution, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a records & extremes fact?

Yes. It sits on the Records & Extremes shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

The tiger beetle is the fastest running insect

Some Australian species sprint at about 2.5 metres per second Relative to body length, tiger beetles are among the quickest land animals, and the fastest species reach roughly 2.5 metres per second, about 120 body lengths each second. At that speed their eyes cannot gather enough light to process images quickly, so they run in short bursts and stop to reorient. They use the speed to chase prey across open sand. It sits in Mondo's records & extremes collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Smithsonian Institution

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Nature & Animals trivia Science trivia

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Tags: insects, speed, beetles

The tiger beetle is the fastest running insect: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Some Australian species sprint at about 2.5 metres per second. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Institution, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a records & extremes fact?: Yes. It sits on the Records & Extremes shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.