What Is The Strongest Insect? The 2025 Ultimate Strength Showdown

Have you ever stopped to wonder which insect on Earth can claim the title of strongest? Not the fastest, not the most venomous, but the one that can lift, pull, or carry the most weight relative to its own body size?

Some beetles can hoist over 1,000 times their body weight, certain ants routinely carry 50× their mass, and a few tiny creatures perform feats that would make a human superhero jealous. But only one holds the undisputed crown, and the answer might surprise you.

In this deep-dive guide, we will meet the top contenders, examine the jaw-dropping science behind their strength, look at verified world records, and finally crown the strongest insect on the planet in 2025.

 

Why Relative Strength Matters (and How We Measure It)

When scientists talk about the “strongest insect,” they almost always mean relative strength: how much weight an insect can lift or carry compared to its own body mass.

Why relative? Because a 150-pound human lifting 300 pounds is impressive… but a 0.001-gram dung beetle rolling a 1-gram ball of poop is proportionally insane.

So we use the multiplier: how many times its own body weight can it lift/carry?

 

Read also: Why Are Ants So Strong?

 

The Top Contenders: The Heavyweight Champions of the Insect World

Rank	Insect	Relative Strength	What They Do	Body Weight	Lifted/Carried
1	Onthophagus taurus (Bull-headed dung beetle)	1,141 × body weight	Pulls dung balls uphill	≈0.5 to 1 g	Up to 1.14 kg
2	Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastes Hercules)	850 × body weight	Lifts heavy objects	20 to 34 g	Up to 28 kg
3	Leafcutter ant (Atta spp.)	50 to 100 × body weight	Carries leaf fragments	≈5 to 20 mg	Up to 2 g
4	Dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer)	≈1,000 × (rolling)	Rolls dung balls	≈1 to 2 g	Up to 2 kg
5	Strong-jawed ant (Myrmecia pyriformis)	50 to 300 ×	Carries prey & nest material	≈10 to 30 mg	Up to 3 to 9 g

 

The Undisputed Champion: The Bull-headed Dung Beetle (Onthophagus taurus)

In 2010, researchers at the University of Cambridge conducted one of the most rigorous insect strength studies ever published.

They tested male Onthophagus taurus dung beetles by attaching weights to their bodies and measuring how much they could pull.

Result?

A single male pulled 1,141 times its own body weight: the current verified world record for any animal.

To Put that in Perspective:

• A 200 lb (90 kg) human would need to pull 228,200 lb (103 metric tons): roughly the weight of a Boeing 747 airplane.
• No other animal comes close.

The Beetle’s Secret?

Massive muscle fibers packed into tiny legs, plus an evolutionary arms race between males fighting for mates. The stronger the pull, the more females they win.

 

Honorable Mentions That Almost Won

1. Hercules Beetle

Can lift 850× body weight in lab tests, but only straight up, not pulling.

2. Leafcutter Ants

Regularly carry 50–100× their weight in leaf fragments over long distances; incredible stamina.

3. Dung Beetle (Scarabaeus sacer)

Rolls balls up to 1,000× its weight, but rolling is easier than lifting.

 

Why Strength Matters in the Insect World

• Mating Success: Stronger males win more females (sexual selection)
• Survival: Better at escaping predators or stealing food
• Ecosystem Role: Dung beetles recycle nutrients, and ants aerate soil

 

Practical Takeaways for Everyday Life

• Strength Inspiration: Engineers study dung beetle legs for robotics
• Garden Helpers: Encourage dung beetles and ants, as they are free soil engineers
• Pest Perspective: Stronger insects are harder to trap; understanding their power helps design better controls

 

Read also: Do Bees Die After Stinging? Your Guide To This Fascinating Bee Behavior

 

Conclusion

The bull-headed dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus) remains the strongest insect known to science, lifting a verified 1,141 times its body weight in repeatable lab conditions.

No other creature has come close. Thank you for reading!

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