ALL ANSWERS · INSECTS · DAILY No. 39 · OCTOBER 12, 2026
Size It Up Insects answer: October 12
The five Insects silhouettes for October 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 39 ran from a head louse (2.2 mm) to an eastern tiger swallowtail (11 cm). The widest gap was round 5, Head Louse against Buff-tailed Bumblebee, at 9.5×; the closest call was round 2, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail against Common Blue Butterfly, only 3.4× apart — the kind of round that separates a 90 from a 60.
SPOILER · TODAY’S FIVE
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ROUND 1
Two-spot Ladybird (adult) vs American Cockroach (adult)
American Cockroach · reference · 4 cm Two-spot Ladybird · true length · 5 mm 8.0× shorter than the American cockroach
Two-spot Ladybird: 5 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 5 mm from the published 4–6 mm length. This is the range midpoint, not a species-wide average. Head to elytra tip in side view; antennae and legs excluded.
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ROUND 2
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (adult · open wings) vs Common Blue Butterfly (adult)
Common Blue Butterfly · reference · 3.25 cm Eastern Tiger Swallowtail · true wingspan · 11 cm 3.4× wider than the common blue 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.
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ROUND 3
Bed Bug (adult) vs Rose Chafer (adult)
Rose Chafer · reference · 1.85 cm Bed Bug · true length · 4.6 mm 4.0× shorter than the rose chafer
Bed Bug: 4.6 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 4.6 mm within the published adult range 4-5 mm. Head to abdomen tip; antennae and legs excluded. Dorsal outline rotated to align the body.
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ROUND 4
Privet Hawk-moth (adult) vs Bullet Ant (adult worker)
Bullet Ant · reference · 2.8 cm Privet Hawk-moth · true wingspan · 10.5 cm 3.8× wider than the bullet ant
Privet Hawk-moth: 105 mm wingspan for the selected adult. Selected 105 mm from the published 90–120 mm wingspan. This is the range midpoint, not a species-wide average. Furthest left to furthest right wingtip with wings spread; legs and antennae excluded.
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ROUND 5
Head Louse (adult) vs Buff-tailed Bumblebee (large adult)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee · reference · 2.1 cm Head Louse · true length · 2.2 mm 9.5× shorter than the buff-tailed bumblebee
Head Louse: 2.2 mm body length for the selected adult. Selected 2.2 mm within the published adult range 2-3 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.