The Great Comparison
Who would have thought that insects and dogs have so much in common? From their amazing abilities to their social behaviors, these two very different groups share some surprising similarities!
Epic Battles of Abilities
🏃♂️ Speed Battle
Insects
Dragonfly: 35 mph
Hawkmoth: 25 mph
Cockroach: 3 mph (but super agile!)
Dogs
Greyhound: 45 mph
Saluki: 43 mph
Border Collie: 30 mph
💪 Strength Battle
Insects
Dung Beetle: 1,141x their weight
Leafcutter Ant: 50x their weight
Flea: Jump 150x their height
Dogs
Sled Dogs: Pull 1,000+ pounds
Mastiff: 230 pounds of muscle
Pit Bull: 300 psi bite force
🧠 Intelligence Battle
Insects
Bees: Can do math and recognize faces
Ants: Farm mushrooms and build cities
Wasps: Use tools and recognize patterns
Dogs
Border Collie: Learn 1,000+ words
Poodle: Solve complex puzzles
German Shepherd: Follow complex commands
👃 Super Senses Battle
Insects
Butterflies: Taste with feet
Moths: Smell mates 7 miles away
Bees: See ultraviolet patterns
Dogs
Bloodhounds: 300 million scent receptors
All Dogs: Hear 4x farther than humans
Police Dogs: Detect drugs in tiny amounts
Surprising Similarities
Social Superstars
Insects: Bees and ants live in massive colonies with queens, workers, and complex societies.
Dogs: Pack animals that form hierarchies and work together as teams.
Communication Masters
Insects: Bees dance to share location of flowers, ants leave chemical trails.
Dogs: Use barks, growls, body language, and facial expressions to communicate.
Amazing Architects
Insects: Termites build air-conditioned mounds, bees create perfect hexagonal combs.
Dogs: Wild dogs dig elaborate dens, domestic dogs create cozy sleeping spots.
Caring Parents
Insects: Some beetles and earwigs guard their eggs and feed their babies.
Dogs: Mothers nurse, clean, and protect their puppies for weeks.
Weird & Wonderful Facts
🐛 Insect Weirdness
- 🤯 Cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads!
- 🤯 Butterflies taste with their feet and smell with their antennae!
- 🤯 Honeybees can recognize human faces better than some people!
- 🤯 Ants can lift 10-50 times their body weight!
- 🤯 Dragonflies have been around for 300 million years!
- 🤯 Some moths can hear bat sonar and dodge attacks!
🐕 Dog Weirdness
- 🤯 Dogs have unique nose prints like human fingerprints!
- 🤯 A dog's sense of smell is 10,000-100,000 times better than ours!
- 🤯 Dogs can be trained to detect cancer with 97% accuracy!
- 🤯 Dalmatians are born completely white and develop spots later!
- 🤯 Dogs have three eyelids - including one to keep their eyes moist!
- 🤯 A dog's mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch!
The Great Size Comparison
Smallest Insect
Fairyfly Wasp
0.139mm (smaller than a grain of sand!)
Smallest Dog
Chihuahua
6 inches tall, 2-6 pounds
Largest Insect
Goliath Beetle
4.3 inches long, 3.5 oz
Largest Dog
Great Dane
44 inches tall, 200+ pounds
Quick Fun Quiz
Which is faster: a dragonfly or a chihuahua?
Answer: Dragonfly! They can fly up to 35 mph, while chihuahuas run about 15 mph.
Who has better hearing: a dog or a moth?
Answer: Moth! Some moths can hear ultrasonic bat calls up to 240 kHz, while dogs hear up to 65 kHz.
Which group has more species on Earth?
Answer: Insects! Over 1 million known species vs. 340+ dog breeds.
Ready to Learn More?
Explore our dedicated pages for deeper dives into each world!