Size It Up

ALL ANSWERS · INSECTS · DAILY No. 9 · SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

Size It Up Insects answer: September 12

The five Insects silhouettes for September 12, with the true sizes. If you have not played yet, this page is a spoiler — play these five first, then come back to argue with the numbers.

Day 9 ran from a honeybee (1.2 cm) to an eastern tiger swallowtail (11 cm). The widest gap was round 5, Honeybee against Mourning Cloak, at 6.7×; the closest call was round 1, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail against Peacock Butterfly, only 1.6× apart — the kind of round that separates a 90 from a 60.

  1. ROUND 1

    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (adult · open wings) vs Peacock Butterfly (adult · open wings)

    Peacock Butterfly · reference · 6.9 cm
    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail · true wingspan · 11 cm

    1.6× wider than the peacock butterfly

    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: 110 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 110 mm within published wingspan 85–140 mm. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip; trailing hindwing tails do not define this span.

  2. ROUND 2

    European Hornet (large adult) vs Stag Beetle (male · jaws included)

    Stag Beetle · reference · 6.5 cm
    European Hornet · true length · 3.5 cm

    1.9× shorter than the stag beetle

    European Hornet: 35 mm body length for the selected large adult. Published upper length 35 mm; a large adult, not a typical worker. Head to abdomen tip; wings, legs and antennae excluded.

  3. ROUND 3

    Buff-tailed Bumblebee (large adult) vs European Praying Mantis (adult)

    European Praying Mantis · reference · 6 cm
    Buff-tailed Bumblebee · true length · 2.1 cm

    2.9× shorter than the European praying mantis

    Buff-tailed Bumblebee: 21 mm body length for the selected large adult. Selected 21 mm within published 20–22 mm range. Head to abdomen tip; wings, legs and antennae excluded.

  4. ROUND 4

    Emperor Dragonfly (adult · body length) vs American Cockroach (adult)

    American Cockroach · reference · 4 cm
    Emperor Dragonfly · true length · 7.8 cm

    1.9× longer than the American cockroach

    Emperor Dragonfly: 78 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length 78 mm. Head to abdomen tip; wings and legs excluded.

  5. ROUND 5

    Honeybee (adult) vs Mourning Cloak (adult · open wings)

    Mourning Cloak · reference · 8 cm
    Honeybee · true length · 1.2 cm

    6.7× shorter than the mourning cloak

    Honeybee: 12 mm body length for the selected adult. Published length 12 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded.

Beat these tomorrow

Every round is worth up to 100 points: within 6% of the true size scores 100, half or double scores 45, five times off scores zero. The daily puzzle is the same five for everyone and refreshes at midnight in your time zone; if you want more than five, Size It Up Unlimited draws fresh pairs from the whole library for as long as you like.

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MixedAnimals, planets and everyday things. AnimalsLength, height or wingspan — every round names the axis. GeographyEast–west or north–south span, never area. Pop CultureCheck the version. Compare the measured dimension. VehiclesLength end to end, or height for the ones that stand upright. DinosaursCompare estimated body length, from snout to tail tip. SpaceCompare body diameter. Rings and orbital distances are excluded. Everyday ObjectsLength, height or width — every round names the axis. InsectsBody length or wingspan — read the named measurement. LandmarksRead the named height, length or main span — including its endpoints. Food & DrinkRead the selected size and axis — length, diameter or container height.
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