Spider veins are tiny, thin veins that can be seen very close to the skinâs surface. They look like red, blue, or green spider webs just beneath the skin. Sometimes they are also described as looking like marble. Spider veins are caused by a backup of blood. These become nonfunctional, âdead-endâ veins.
While the fairy fly is the worldâs smallest insect, there a few runners up! For example, the feather wing beetle is only .25 millimeters long. Some scientists think these beetles may even be smaller than fairy flies, but for now, the fairy fly is considered by many to be the âsmallest insect!â.
The smallest hummingbird species in the world is the Cuban Bee Hummingbird, Mellisuga helenae, and it measures 5-6 cm in length (2.0-2.4 inches) and weighs a mere 1.6-1.9 grams (roughly 1/14 of an ounce). Most species, however, are larger: in the U.S., most species are 3.0 - 3.5 inches in length. Hummingbird moths are considerably smaller than the smallest hummingbird. This recognition problem is perhaps the single most common query presented to the Hummingbird Society, often with a photo attached. Some are not convinced, despite the scientific evidence. When in doubt, one can always get closer and count the legs...it is a sure way to distinguish between an insect and a bird!