Shortest-Living Animals
Number one is the luna moth at 7–10 days as an adult, followed by the common wasp at 2–4 weeks (workers); queens about 1 year and the yellow fever mosquito at 2–4 weeks as an adult.
| # | Animal | Lifespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luna Moth Invertebrate |
7–10 days as an adult | adult moths; the egg, caterpillar and cocoon stages add roughly two months, or a whole winter for the last brood |
| 2 | Common Wasp Invertebrate |
2–4 weeks (workers); queens about 1 year | adult workers; queens live about a year, including winter hibernation |
| 3 | Yellow Fever Mosquito Invertebrate |
2–4 weeks as an adult | adults; females outlive males, and eggs can survive dry for several months before hatching |
| 4 | Housefly Invertebrate |
15–30 days as an adult | adult flies; the egg, maggot and pupa stages add another 1–3 weeks |
| 5 | Buff-Tailed Bumblebee Invertebrate |
2–6 weeks (workers); queens about 1 year | adult workers; queens live about a year, including winter hibernation |
| 6 | Western Honey Bee Invertebrate |
5–7 weeks (summer workers); queens 2–5 years | adult workers in summer; winter workers live 4–6 months and queens 2–5 years |
| 7 | Immortal Jellyfish Invertebrate |
about 1–3 months per medusa stage; no known upper limit with rejuvenation | approximate span of a single medusa stage without rejuvenation; because the life cycle can restart, no maximum lifespan is known |
| 8 | European Mantis Invertebrate |
6–8 months after hatching (about 1 year including the egg) | from hatching in spring to death in autumn; the adult stage lasts about 2–3 months, and eggs overwinter before that |
| 9 | Monarch Butterfly Invertebrate |
2–6 weeks (summer adults) to 6–9 months (migratory generation) | adult butterflies; summer generations live 2–6 weeks, the migratory generation 6–9 months |
| 10 | Asian Giant Hornet Invertebrate |
weeks to a few months (workers); queens about 1 year | workers live from a few weeks to a few months; queens live about a year, including hibernation |
| 11 | Moon Jellyfish Invertebrate |
6–12 months as an adult medusa | free-swimming medusa stage in the wild; the polyp stage can persist for years |
| 12 | House Mouse Mammal |
12–18 months | in the wild; many survive less than a year |
| 13 | Black Garden Ant Invertebrate |
1–2 years (workers); queens 15+ years | workers; queens commonly live 15 years or more, and males only a few weeks as adults |
| 14 | Brown Rat Mammal |
1–2 years | in the wild; most live less than a year |
| 15 | Common Octopus Invertebrate |
1–2 years | in the wild; adults die after breeding once |
| 16 | Emperor Dragonfly Invertebrate |
1–2 years in total; adults 4–8 weeks | full life cycle, nearly all of it as an aquatic larva; flying adults live only about 4–8 weeks |
| 17 | Seven-Spot Ladybug Invertebrate |
about 1 year, occasionally up to 2 | adults, including winter dormancy; most live about a year |
| 18 | Guppy Fish |
2–3 years | in aquariums; wild guppies in predator-rich streams usually live less |
| 19 | Hamster Mammal |
2–3 years | pet Syrian hamsters; wild lifespan is poorly known and probably shorter |
| 20 | Raccoon Mammal |
2–3 years | average in the wild; some reach 5 or more |
| 21 | Southern Black Widow Invertebrate |
1–3 years (females); males a few months | females; males live only a month or two after reaching maturity |
| 22 | Striped Skunk Mammal |
2–3 years | average in the wild; occasionally up to 7 |
| 23 | Barn Owl Bird |
2–4 years | typical in the wild; most die in their first year, but banded wild birds have passed 15 |
| 24 | Lined Seahorse Fish |
1–4 years | in the wild |
| 25 | Betta Fish Fish |
2–5 years | in a heated, filtered aquarium; about 3 years is typical |
About this ranking
At the other end of the scale are animals whose whole adult lives are measured in weeks. Most are insects and other small invertebrates, but some small mammals and fish also live fast: high metabolic rates, early breeding and heavy predation all go with a short life.
How it is ranked: Ranked by the upper end of the typical wild lifespan, shortest first. For insects this is the adult stage or full life cycle as stated on each page. The list covers the 214 animals in the AnimalStats database, not every species on Earth.
The top five in detail
1. Luna Moth — 7–10 days as an adult
Adult luna moths live only about 7–10 days. They emerge without working mouthparts and cannot eat, so they survive on fat stored during the caterpillar stage. The whole life cycle is much longer: about 8–13 days as an egg, three to four weeks or more as a caterpillar, and two to three weeks in the cocoon, or all winter for the year's last brood.
2. Common Wasp — 2–4 weeks (workers); queens about 1 year
Common wasp workers live about 2–4 weeks as adults, while queens live about a year. Queens spend roughly half of that year hibernating in a sheltered spot such as a loft, shed or log pile. The colony is annual in its native range: workers, males and the old queen die off by early winter.
3. Yellow Fever Mosquito — 2–4 weeks as an adult
Adult yellow fever mosquitoes live about 2–4 weeks, with females outliving males. The egg stage can last far longer: eggs glued to the inside of a dry container can survive for several months, up to around eight, and hatch when rain refills it. Larva and pupa stages together take about a week to ten days in warm weather.
4. Housefly — 15–30 days as an adult
Adult houseflies live about 15–30 days. The idea that they live only 24 hours is a myth. Flies last longest in cool conditions with steady access to sugar, and in laboratories some survive two months. Before adulthood, the egg, maggot and pupa stages take as little as 7–10 days in warm weather.
5. Buff-Tailed Bumblebee — 2–6 weeks (workers); queens about 1 year
Buff-tailed bumblebee workers live about 2–6 weeks as adults, while queens live about a year. A queen's year includes six months or more of hibernation underground. The colony itself is annual: the old queen, workers and males all die by autumn, leaving only newly mated queens to start again the following spring.