Cabbageworm butterflies beat their wings nine times per second. The fastest runners are cockroaches, which can move almost a foot per second. However this only translates to a little over 1 mph. The loudest insects are male cicadas , which can be heard about a quarter of a mile away. The most dangerous insects are mosquitoes , which pass on a parasite causing malaria, as well as the diseases dengue, yellow fever and certain types of encephalitis.
Malaria kills a million people a year.
The oldest group of insects are the cockroaches, dating back 300 million years. The queen of a termite colony may lay 6,000 to 7,000 eggs per day, and may live 15 to 50 years. Each cocoon of a silkworm produces a single thread about 1,500 feet long. More than 25,000 cocoons are needed to make a pound of silk. They are not common in the United States anymore, however in Africa, Europe and Asia, a large swarm may eat up to 80,000 tons of grain and other vegetation in a day.