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Insects

Austrophlebia costalis

Guinness says a short-burst airspeed of 36 mph (58 km/h) for Austrophlebia costalis. The 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) figure from 1917 is ground velocity and does not count. The record field also says 24.2 mph (39 km/h).

An austrophlebia costalis can travel 36.0 mph (58 km/h), an official figure.

Also known as Australian dragonfly, southern giant darner
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Top speed

Published as 58 km/hPublished as 58 km/hPublished as 58 km/h

Guinness World Records, fastest flying insect. The body says the maximum airspeed of Austrophlebia costalis is 36 mph (58 km/h) for short bursts. A 1917 timing of 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) over 240 feet to 269 feet (73–82 m) (240–270 ft) is identified as ground velocity. The same paragraph says the highest maintainable airspeed of insects generally is 24 mph (39 km/h). The record's What field says 24.2 mph (39 kilometres per hour). The figure is the species short-burst airspeed, 36.0 mph (58 km/h).

OfficialGuinness World Records (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 1.5× Usain Bolt's 100 m world-record paceSourced · Usain Bolt, 100 m in 9.58 s. World Athletics, Berlin 2009. Averaged over the race
  • 56% of a cheetah's timed top speedSourced · Cheetah, 29 m/s. Sharp 1997, mean of three timed runs over 201.2 m
  • A football field in 5.7 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

Quick answers

People also ask

How fast can an austrophlebia costalis travel?

An austrophlebia costalis can travel 36.0 mph (58 km/h), an official figure.

Is that figure claimed or verified?

Austrophlebia costalis is labeled Official. Ratified by a governing body such as the FIA, World Athletics or Guinness World Records.

What is the source?

The figure cites Guinness World Records, “Fastest flying insect, short-burst airspeed.”

Where does Austrophlebia costalis rank?

Austrophlebia costalis is 2nd of 10 on Fastest Insects.

Mechanism

Why it's so fast

Austrophlebia costalis is ranked at a short-burst airspeed of 36 mph (58 km/h), the maximum Guinness states for this dragonfly. A 1917 timing of 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) over 240 feet to 269 feet (73–82 m) was ground velocity and does not count.

Short burst
36 mph (58 km/h)
1917 ground
61.3 mph (98.6 km/h), not ranked
Widget
24.2 mph (39 km/h)

  1. Airspeed, not the 1917 dash

    Guinness says the 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) figure was speed over the ground for 240–270 feet. Ground speed includes wind. The same paragraph sets the maximum airspeed at 36.0 mph (58 km/h). Dean’s chapter dropped the 60.9 mph (98 km/h) number for that reason.

  2. 24.2 mph (39 km/h) is the class note

    The record’s What field says 24.2 mph (39 km/h). The paragraph assigns 24 mph (39 km/h) to the highest maintainable airspeed of insects generally, including horseflies and hawk moths, and 36.0 mph (58 km/h) to this dragonfly’s short burst. The species row uses 58.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 58km/h36.0mph16.1m/s31.3knRanked figure

    Guinness World Records, fastest flying insect. The body says the maximum airspeed of Austrophlebia costalis is 36 mph (58 km/h) for short bursts. A 1917 timing of 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) over 240 feet to 269 feet (73–82 m) (240–270 ft) is identified as ground velocity. The same paragraph says the highest maintainable airspeed of insects generally is 24 mph (39 km/h). The record's What field says 24.2 mph (39 kilometres per hour). The figure is the species short-burst airspeed, 36.0 mph (58 km/h).

    The What field says 24.2 mph (39 km/h), which the same paragraph assigns to maintainable insect airspeed in general. 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) is ground velocity.

    Official
    Guinness World Records (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Species
Austrophlebia costalis
Short burst
36 mph (58 km/h)
1917 ground speed
61.3 mph (98.6 km/h), not ranked

Context

Background

Guinness's fastest-flying-insect record names the Australian dragonfly Austrophlebia costalis. The paragraph says acceptable modern experiments put the highest maintainable insect airspeed at 24 mph (39 km/h), and a short-burst maximum of 36 mph (58 km/h) for this dragonfly. The figure is 36.0 mph (58 km/h), qualifier official, because that is the species maximum the record text states.

The same page says a 1917 speed of 61.3 mph (98.6 km/h) over 240 feet to 269 feet (73–82 m) (240–270 ft) was ground velocity, and that the maximum airspeed is 36.0 mph (58 km/h). Dean's chapter excluded that 60.9 mph (98 km/h) ground figure for the same reason. The record widget's What field says 24.2 mph (39 kilometres per hour). That matches the maintainable class speed in the paragraph, not the 36.0 mph (58 km/h) short burst, so 24.2 mph (39 km/h) stays beside the main figure.

Head to head

Compare Austrophlebia costalis

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