Size It Up

ALL ANSWERS · INSECTS · DAILY No. 15 · SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Size It Up Insects answer: September 18

The five Insects silhouettes for September 18, 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 15 ran from a booklouse (1 mm) to an eastern tiger swallowtail (11 cm). The widest gap was round 3, Redbanded Thrips against Marmalade Hoverfly, at 8.2×; the closest call was round 5, Honeybee against Small White Butterfly, only 4.0× apart — the kind of round that separates a 90 from a 60.

  1. ROUND 1

    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (adult · open wings) vs Buff-tailed Bumblebee (large adult)

    Buff-tailed Bumblebee · reference · 2.1 cm
    Eastern Tiger Swallowtail · true wingspan · 11 cm

    5.2× wider than the buff-tailed bumblebee

    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

    Booklouse (adult) vs Seven-spot Ladybird (adult)

    Seven-spot Ladybird · reference · 6.6 mm
    Booklouse · true length · 1 mm

    6.6× shorter than the seven-spot ladybird

    Booklouse: 1 mm body length for the selected adult. Published adult body length about 1 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded.

  3. ROUND 3

    Redbanded Thrips (adult female) vs Marmalade Hoverfly (adult)

    Marmalade Hoverfly · reference · 9.8 mm
    Redbanded Thrips · true length · 1.2 mm

    8.2× shorter than the marmalade hoverfly

    Redbanded Thrips: 1.2 mm body length for the selected adult female. Published adult female length about 1.2 mm; the male is smaller. Head to abdomen tip; antennae, terminal setae, fringed wings and legs excluded.

  4. ROUND 4

    Great Diving Beetle (adult) vs Flower Longhorn Beetle (adult)

    Flower Longhorn Beetle · reference · 7.3 mm
    Great Diving Beetle · true length · 4.4 cm

    6.0× longer than the flower longhorn beetle

    Great Diving Beetle: 44 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 44 mm at the top of the published adult range 38-44 mm. Head to elytra tip; antennae and legs excluded.

  5. ROUND 5

    Honeybee (adult) vs Small White Butterfly (adult · open wings)

    Small White Butterfly · reference · 4.8 cm
    Honeybee · true length · 1.2 cm

    4.0× shorter than the small white butterfly

    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.

Play today’s fivePlay unlimited
Choose a categoryPLAYING DAILY
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.
Browse all categories →

Suggest a category

No account or email needed. Suggestions help us choose what to build.