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(#8) Indianmeal Moth
Average Life Span: 28 Days
Indianmeal Moths, Plodia interpunctella, are a pest species spread around the world that were given their name after they were seen to subsist on Indian cornmeal. They are more commonly known as waxworms, though they aren't the same species of waxworm bred for animal feed.
They can bite through plastic and other hard materials, which makes infestation possible in sealed containers. In terms of their life-cycle, on average, an Indianmeal Moth can live for as many as 28 days in ideal conditions. There have been individuals noted for living up to 50 days, but this doesn't happen naturally. In cool climates, their growth can slow, which helps keep them around for a bit longer than usual, but most don't see the end of a month.
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(#6) Housefly
- Musca domestica
Average Life Span: 15 - 25 Days
Houseflies, Musca domestica, have been around since the Cenozoic Era, and while they may have gotten their start in the Middle East, they have managed to spread to every continent, except for Antarctica. They are a pest species, and the most common species of fly found around the globe.
Houseflies undergo a similar life cycle as other insects. They begin as eggs and then hatch into a primary larval stage. They undergo two additional larval stages as maggots before becoming a pupa. This is followed by the adult stage, which typically goes for between two and three weeks.
Their entire life cycle from egg to adult spans just seven to ten days, which is considerably fast. A female can lay as many as 900 eggs during her brief time of sexual maturity, but at most, she's only going to live for around 21 days.
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(#13) Labord’s Chameleon
Average Life Span: 137 Days
Most reptile species live relatively long lives, and the average life of a Chameleon is around 5 to 11 years. That's not the case for Labord's chameleon, Furcifer labordi, which holds the distinction of having the shortest lifespan of any four-legged animal.
A Labord's chameleon will live for only about four to five months. Their eggs hatch when the first rains hit in November in their native Madagascar, and they experience a rapid growth from that point. By January, they breed, and in February or early March, they will lay their eggs, which won't hatch until the rains come the following year.
Once the eggs are laid, every member of the population dies, leaving only the eggs to carry on their genetic code to keep the species going. Labord's chameleon is the only species of tetrapod, which has exhibited such a short and limited lifespan.
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(#1) Mayflies
Average Life Span: 5 Minutes
Many species of mayflies are found around the world, and they all live for about 24 hours. Much of that time is spent transitioning through the various stages of maturation, but when it comes time to be an adult mayfly, the clock starts ticking — fast!
An adult female mayfly of the species Dolania americana, which is found in the Southeastern United States, only lives for five minutes. In that time, it has to deposit its eggs for reproduction and die. Males can live for as much as 30 minutes, but like the females, they kick it almost as soon as they emerge.
Of all the animals known to exist, D. americana has the shortest lifespan.
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(#12) Dragonfly
- Anisoptera
Average Life Span: 120 - 180 Days
Dragonflies have been around for more than 325 million years, but that doesn't mean they live for very long. There are numerous species of dragonflies spread around the world, and all of them have relatively short lifespans.
The majority of a dragonfly's life is spent as an aquatic nymph, and from that phase, they will molt as many as 15 times, depending on the species. The largest species can remain in this stage for as many as five years, but for the smaller ones, it's closer to two to three months. For those, their entire life-cycle lasts only about four to six months.
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(#9) Worker Bees
Average Life Span: 35 Days
The most common bee is the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, and they can live for around 122 to 152 days. Like ants, they have a highly specialized function within their colonies, so some individuals live far shorter lifespans than others.
A worker bee is aptly named because they literally work themselves to death. That's not hyperbole either; a worker bee will spend their lives flying out to scout or collect nectar and pollen. They can also specialize in water gathering or hive protection, but whatever they end up doing, it will eventually kill them.
After flying for around 500 miles over the course of their lives, their wings are ragged, and they continue doing their given task until it kills them. The average worker bee will only last around a month.
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As we all know, there are thousands of species on the planet, and different species have different life spans. People are always keen to seek the secret of longevity and learn about some ancient long-lived creatures, but few people know which creatures on earth with the shortest life expectancy. In fact, many common creatures in daily life have a short life. For example, the life expectancy of houselies is about one month, but they always appear because of their fast reproduction speed.
The random tool lists 15 animals with the shortest life expectancy that you might never know. Welcome to introduce this interesting tool to more friends and search for other hot topics that you are interested in.
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