What animals live the shortest lives? (2024)

From an insect known for its one-day life as an adult to a tiny rodent that might make it to a year and a half, Pennsylvania is home to some of the shortest-lived animals on Earth.

Here's a look at some those short-timers:

Ephemeral mayflies

We often hear that mayflies, like the whiteflies of the Susquehanna River, have the shortest lifespan of any animal on Earth, just 24 hours for many species.

While that may be true for the adult stage of life for many members of a group of about 2,500 animals often known as the “one-day insects,” the full life of a mayfly passes through four stages: egg, nymph, subimago and imago (adult).

Eggs are laid in the water and then sink to the bottom or stick to some submerged object before hatching in two weeks or longer. Varying by species, the nymph that emerges from each egg will live for 2 weeks to 2 years, with a year being normal for most. After as many as 50 molts, the subimago, or dun, breaks free of its final nymphal skin, fights its way to the surface and flies to some sheltered spot, where a few minutes to a few days later it sheds its skin for the last time, emerging as the imago, adult or spinner. The short and frenzied mating period for which the insect is known follows.

Fascinating mayflies

For more about the unique life of mayflies, check out these other posts:

11 fascinating mayfly facts, including why they swarm City island and bridges

They're back: mayfly season returns to Central Pennsylvania

Fruit flies

Another insect often noted as having one of the shortest life cycles is the common fruit fly, which also is known as the vinegar fly. From egg through larva and pupa to adult, the fly lives about 14 days.

That short life cycle is one of the reasons the fruit fly has been used in research for a very long time.

The real record-holder

The real champion of the short life is the gastrotrich, a near-microscopic creature found in aquatic environments worldwide. The flat, transparent critters live their entire lives in less than a week, reaching sexual maturity in three days, reproducing by cloning and then dying a day or two later.

Pantry pest

The Indian meal moth, also known as the pantry moth and flour moth, typically passes through its entire life cycle (egg to adult) in less than 55 days. However, optimal conditions, such as temperatures consistently above 50 degrees, can reduce that span to as little as 28 days.

Luna moth

If adult-stage life is the measure of longevity, the luna moth is another contender for brevity. The winged adult has no mouth, doesn’t eat anything and last about a week. In Pennsylvania there are two generations per year.

Ant drones

The winged males, also known as drones, in many ant colonies exist for only a few weeks after hatching. Their sole function to engage in mating flights with queens that then can fly off to establish new colonies.

In the hive

Worker bees in a honey bee hive live only about 5 weeks. They work themselves to death, doing nearly all the work of the hive.

Houseflies

Although some houseflies have been documented as living as long as 2 months in protective captivity, most do not live more than 15-25 days.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes typically pass through their egg, larva and pupa stages in 5-14 day. They then emerge as winged adults, which will be buzzing about for another 1-3 months.

Tiny fish

Although it isn’t found in Pennsylvania, a tiny fish that lives on the Great Barrier Reef at Australia has the shortest lifespan of any vertebrate, which is the group of animals having vertebral columns running the length of their bodies. According to researchers at James Cook University, the pygmy gobi lives just 59 days, during which time it grows to no more .8 of an inch in length.

Rare lizard

Another recently discovered that also is not found in Pennsylvania, but has the shortest lifespan of any known four-legged species. The Labord’s chameleon, a lizard found only on the island of Madagascar, lives just 4-5 months after hatching from an egg, which is has existed for the previous 8 months.

Tiny rodent

As we move into the higher animals, such as mammals, the shortest lifespans are those of the shrews, a family of mouse-sized, and smaller, venomous rodents that live 1-1.5 years.

The seven species of shrews found in Pennsylvania range from the pygmy shrew, which is no more than 3 inches long, to the short-tailed shrew, which can be as large as 5 inches.

The other end of the spectrum

For comparison, one the longest lived animals on Earth is a species of deep-sea sponge thought to be 11,000 years old.

Big and old

And, in the class of animals we know as mammals, the bowhead whale is the longevity champion, living more than 200 years.

More information

For more fascinating facts from the animal world:

What's that buzz across Pennsylvania?

Amazing diversity of pollinators swarming wildflowers across Pennsylvania

Frogs and toads of Pennsylvania

Visit to a Pennsylvania rattlesnake den