The little things that run: a general scaling of invertebrate exploratory speed with body mass

Speed is a key trait of animal movement, and while much is already known about vertebrate speed and how it scales with body mass, studies on invertebrates are sparse, especially across diverse taxonomic groups. Here, we used automated image-based tracking to characterize the exploratory (voluntary) speed of 173 invertebrates comprising 57 species across six taxonomic groups (Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Entognatha, Insecta, Malacostraca) and four feeding types (carnivore, detritivore, herbivore, omnivore). Across all individuals, exploratory speed (mm/s) scaled with body mass (g) following a power-law relationship with a scaling exponent of 0.19 ± 0.04 (mean ± SE) and an intercept of 14.33 ± 1.2. These parameters varied substantially with taxonomic group and feeding type. For the first time, we provide general empirically derived allometric scaling relationships of exploratory speed across broad taxonomic groups of invertebrates. As exploratory speed drives key components of species interactions, such as encounter and attack rates, or competition, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of individual movement in population and community level processes.