What is the fastest running insect?

The tiger beetle is the fastest-running insect. The Australian species Rivacindela hudsoni has been recorded running at about 9 km/h, or roughly 125 body lengths per second.

Tiger beetles are active predators that chase ants, caterpillars, flies, and other small animals across open ground. Their long legs and powerful muscles help them sprint over sand, salt flats, and woodland paths. Some species are especially fast because they have reduced or nonfunctional wings and rely almost entirely on running.

Their speed creates an unusual problem: a tiger beetle can move so quickly that its visual system cannot gather enough light to keep a clear image of its prey. It therefore runs in short bursts, pauses, and then resumes the chase. The name can also cause confusion: tiger beetles are beetles, not big cats or true “tiger” insects. A mite has a faster speed relative to body length, but mites are arachnids, not insects.