World's Loudest Animal is a Tiny Insect

 

Photo: University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

While normally a species measuring in at only around 2 millimeters in length might be easily overlooked, one tiny freshwater-dwelling critter has found a way to turn peoples' heads. Researchers studying 'water boatman' (Micronecta scholtzi), an aquatic insect native to Europe, say that the minuscule species takes the mantle as the world's loudest animal relative to its body size. The hard-to-see insect is capable of producing a song that reaches a whopping 99.2 decibles -- roughly the equivalent to the sound of a motorcycle. What may be more surprising, however, is just how water boatman make their 'song'.

Article continues: World's Loudest Animal is a Tiny Insect, Says Study