15 Most Dangerous Insects In The World

it may seem silly when somebody has a phobia of bugs especially given how small they are but truth be told that fear may be justified because even though they can be tiny that doesn’t stop some insects from being capable of causing serious damage these are the most dangerous insects in the world [Music] number 15 scorpion you don’t even need to look at a scorpion to know that it’s probably dangerous they are one of the very first predators to walk on land i mean its name is enough these predatory arachnids are easily recognizable with their eight legs and venomous stingers these stingers have racked up a plethora of victims over the years and considering their size that’s pretty impressive scorpions range from just 9 millimeters to 23 centimeters with even the smallest not to be messed with every single one has a venomous sting but there is some good news a vast majority of their species don’t inject enough venom to pose a threat to most adults there are others whose venom isn’t powerful enough but it still pays to be careful as a whopping 25 other species are more than capable of taking lives this still continues to be an issue for many places around the globe but mainly due to a lack of medical expertise or attention in a suitable time frame the scorpion’s venom is basically a neurotoxin which is a chemical capable of disrupting the nervous system this venom has the power to kill or paralyze the scorpion’s choice of prey keep your distance if possible and if you do fall victim to a sting seek medical assistance immediately like this video smash the subscribe button and click the notification bell right now or this centipede will crawl on your face when you’re sleeping number 14 army ant the name army ant isn’t given to a singular species of ant it belongs to well over 200 different ant species these ants tend to travel in very aggressive and predatory foraging groups that are often described as raids a large number of ants take part in these raids hunting in packs foraging in chosen areas together if the scouts find food they’ll relay the news via scent back to the nest so the colony can mobilize army ants are unlike other ant species as they like to be constantly on the move instead of setting up a permanent base these ants divide up into so many different colonies and sub-families it would take hours to explain their origins and various characteristics the different types include workers soldiers males and queens if it wasn’t obvious already these ants are a very clever and intelligent species when they hunt for prey they tend to send out scouts to search for food before laying out an attack strategy the whole colony is believed to consume upwards of half a million prey animals a day most of the prey is found underground and includes larvae earthworms and occasionally young vertebrates like turtle eggs and oily seeds the single army ant isn’t dangerous but rather their strength in numbers and their rather brilliant tactical knowledge as a unit number 13 kissing bug the kissing bug is the nickname given to the insect known as triadamines where does this nickname come from you ask well it certainly isn’t what you’d expect these nasty little fellas are called the kissing bug due to their history of biting people’s faces that’s a kissing bug giving me a little kiss now the kissing bug is nocturnal which means they’ll only strike at night and due to its size the bite victims won’t even notice that it’s happened at least not right away these insects hold a parasite in their intestines called trypanosoma cruisy this parasite is generally picked up when they are feeding infected animals and even people if this parasite enters your body you will become infected with a disease called chagas the disease mostly causes long-lasting mild swelling and a fever however it has been known to cause congestive heart failure when the bugs bite the person is usually asleep the whole process will take 20 to 30 minutes as they are injecting saliva similar to that of an anesthetic into the person’s skin they will do this anywhere between 2 to 15 times a day if possible so our best avoided where possible number 12 tick-borne encephalitis ticks can cause a lot of problems for the human immune system tick-borne diseases are caused by infected tick bites that transfer bacteria into the human body some of these tick related diseases include lyme disease erlichiosis and rocky mountain spotted fever which is usually just referred to as rmsf it doesn’t matter how healthy you are or how effective your immune system is no one is immune people that spend lots of time outdoors are even more susceptible to being bitten by these little blood suckers the ticks transmit the diseases by inserting their mouths into the skin of the victim or host from here they suck out blood very slowly this feeding process can take upwards of 48 hours although the disease is usually already fully transmitted after 24 hours of feeding this fact alone makes it even more important to bathe after you’ve come home from a long day working outdoors or participating in any outdoor related activity the arachnid is now able to climb up easily using the double claws on its eight legs this should at least help eliminate any possibility of ticks being attached to your body checking your clothes and giving them a wash is also a good idea other preventative measures could include the use of insect repellents protective clothing daily tick checks and proper tick removal all are necessary to prevent tick-borne diseases it sounds like a big job but it’s definitely worth it number 11 lana maya caterpillar the lana maya obliqua is pretty much like every other caterpillar that you may have seen it is incredibly small fragile and has interesting patterns and color combos on its code what separates the lana maya from a regular caterpillar however is how harmful they can be to humans these are actually one of the most venomous caterpillars on earth a single touch of this miniscule insect can cause serious internal disruptions including the likes of hemorrhaging and possibly death the lana maya tend to be located in rainforest areas of south america most commonly in the south end of brazil they are usually found on the bark of trees and don’t look in the least bit threatening there’s also another problem with these insects they are so small touching them can sometimes be hard to avoid even if you’re the cautious type you could still end up coming into contact with them many incidents of victims being poisoned have stemmed from them leaning against a tree or brushing against one that is sitting sunbathing on a branch or a leaf once contact is made with the lana maya it releases a rather powerful anticoagulant venom which can cause symptoms such as internal bleeding renal failure and hemolysis now these are some nasty symptoms and more often than not can result in the death of the unsuspecting victim researchers have found that there is one benefit to the caterpillar’s poison it is understood to be an important ingredient in the vaccine that prevents blood clots at least that’s one bonus number 10. bulldog ants killer ant there wouldn’t be many people that aren’t nervous around wass but the wingless wasp is even more terrifying this is the bull act it’s one of the world’s largest it seems surprising given that it can’t fly but it’s also not a wasp wingless wasp is the nickname given to the species of ants known as bulldog ants these ants are known to be pretty smart and can grow as big as 40 millimeters in length with some of the smaller types pushing the 15 millimeter mark the species are mainly located in australia although there are small colonies based in new caledonia australia is where they are most common they also tend to be very aggressive around their prey and their stings are lethal they have the potential to induce anaphylactic shock in their victims mainly those that are allergic like most allergies if left untreated it can be absolutely catastrophic these remarkably large ants have large eyes and very long and slender mandibles their vision is absolutely impeccable as they are able to track and follow intruders from quite a distance which is remarkable when you consider their size in comparison to us the bulldog ant tends to seek out small insects to dine on whilst also consuming the likes of honeydew seeds fruit fungi gums and nectar their greatest foe is the black ant this species of ant is much smaller than the bulldog but has great power when working as a team outmaneuvering the bulldog colonies number nine the asian giant hornet imagine being stung by a creature whose stinger is six millimeters long filled with extremely potent venom that would have you writhing in agony for hours the sting itself has been said to feel like a hot nail being driven into the skin ouch i don’t know about you but this doesn’t sound like it would make it onto my to-do list that’s for sure even its name is enough to put me off the asian giant hornet is a dangerous insect native to the tropical eastern asia area the rock samurais are ambushed at their own entrance relatives of the japanese giant hornet these nasty creatures kill 30 to 40 people a year in japan alone they can be identified by their distinctive light orange head brown body and get this they have wings that span from 3.5 to 7.5 centimeters that’s huge i know where i’d be going if i saw one of these flying at me these small insects can fly 60 miles in a single day reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour it is recommended that if you’ve been stung more than 10 times you will need medical help and emergency treatment if stung more than 30 times what an awful bug number eight setsi fly this blood-sucking robust sparsely bristled fly is native to africa while other insects can lay hundreds of eggs she grows one baby at a time inside her the tsetse fly transmits sleeping sickness to its poor victims to do this it uses its large protrusion on its head to puncture the skin feeding off the blood of mainly domestic animals and wild game there have also been cases of these flies feeding off human blood so watch out the tsetse fly ranges between 0.2 to 0.6 inches in length they live up to 3 weeks and can vary in color from yellow to brown for many centuries humans have tried to eradicate these pests clearing woodlands and burning off bushland to try and keep wild game away from where they live trapping the flies and controlling them did help eliminate some of the population but not eradicate them entirely sleeping sickness comes in two waves in the first wave which occurs soon after being bitten the victim experiences headaches fever muscle and joint pain several weeks or up to two years later as the parasite develops in his victim they become sleepless and can even die if left untreated number 7 anopheles mosquito with 430 or more species and between 30 to 40 of those known to carry disease this pesky little insect can cause big problems for one it can spread malaria throughout the world with the anopheles mosquito getting the nickname of malaria mosquito for this exact reason preferring to feed off mammal blood this transmitter is found worldwide dark brown in color they consist of three sections the head thorax and abdomen this annoying little insect is easily killed due to its size only growing to a maximum of 4.4 millimeters in length it is easily squished the tetsy fly can be distinguished from other flies by the pattern of the veins in the wing however short its lifespan the mosquito will mate several times producing around 200 eggs hatching in temperate waters the larva grow fast and are soon out hunting for blood to feast on this dangerous insect is active just before dawn and right after sunset at these times of the day it is important to minimize the chances of being bitten by using appropriate mosquito controls to protect against a malaria mosquito bite number six butt fly i hope you’re not squeamish because this next dangerous insect has my stomach churning looking like a large densely haired bumblebee the human botfly is native to central and south america there are several species of bot fly that parasitize a range of mammals these flies are found to be around 12 to 18 millimeters they are long with a wide variety of colors including stripes these give them a b like appearance the fly has been known to transmit disease-causing pathogens but it’s the eggs and larva that cause the most problems the botfly will lay eggs into the skin of mammals hatching under the skin layer these hatchlings will live out their larva stage until they’re ready to move on the larva also known as the white maggot feast on the host most common in cattle and dogs this maggot can be forced out of the body by applying pressure to the wounded area however this can be difficult because the larva attached themselves to the wound using their spines as an anchor if left the larva continued to feast for as long as two months before being excreted that’s disgusting number five fleas fleas are minut bugs that move extremely fast they might be the size of the tip of a pen and wingless but they’re great jumpers they’re small and narrow like a little sesame seed with legs fleas are light brown to almost black they’re tiny but dangerous because of their size they’re difficult to kill even when squeezed tightly these pests reproduce quickly and live within animal hair but are also known to bite humans the common symptoms of a flea bite are skin irritation hives pain and a rash near the bite site even though the wound is itchy scratching it should be avoided to minimize further damage or infection an anti-itch cream or antihistamine medication should be applied these creatures are common worldwide preferring tall grass shaded areas wood piles or storage buildings as their home for those who regularly treat their home and pets for fleas as a precaution before it might be a good idea to extend that process to the yard as well that would be a pretty big job number four killer bees just like a scene from a horror movie the killer bee is quite a scary insect the bee is a hybrid the product of southern african and brazilian honeybees yeah just like frankenstein honey good good these bees have a checkered past being found throughout the world today they’re found in southern california southern nevada arizona texas new mexico oklahoma western louisiana southern arkansas and central and southern florida i don’t know about you but that’s a few too many places for my liking slightly smaller but with a similar appearance to the domestic honeybee these dangerous insects nests should not be approached this is where they feel safe but also where they are the most dangerous they defend their hive quickly in great numbers meaning more stingers to attack their attacker this aggression has led to the death of several hundred people over the last 50 years the sting is said to feel like a sharp needle piercing the skin with pain that can last up to two to three days with this in mind if you find a nest make sure to phone the professionals getting rid of these guys is not a job for a rookie that’s for sure number three driver ants this dangerous insect is an african member of the doralane family this means that its habitats are sporadic laying eggs in quiet times but moving colonies to new areas each day their new home is in a hollow at the base of a fallen tree driver ants are ferocious they have powerful cutting jaws attacking anything in their path even snakes birds and human beings these creatures are said to hunt like they’re carrying out a raid paralyzing or killing their prey with one bite and then carrying them back to their nests to feast the ants are also believed to sting but they pose little threat to human life their diet consists largely of earthworms this species is actually blind and like most ants they primarily communicate through pheromones the ants hunt in large numbers killing and immobilizing their prey and feasting on their flesh they live in mounds consisting of upwards of 50 million ants with the queen laying up to one million more eggs a month it’s lucky that they’re so small found primarily in central and east africa these unique insects are considered a menace to people but can easily be avoided number two mouse spider we all know the infamous spider pig from the simpsons laughing as we watched homer help him walk across the ceiling spider pig does whatever a spider pig does well a dangerous insect is the mouse spider definitely not as caring or cute as spider pig found right throughout australia the mouse spider or red black spider’s bite is extremely toxic excreting venom into the veins of its victim in seconds this bite is known to cause severe illness especially to young children dangerous to humans the large front fangs dig in deeply causing immense pain these spiders grow up to 35 millimeters in body length and can be identified by the bright red diamond shape on their back they mainly prey on insects and small animals depending on the opportunity that presents itself they feed by springing out of their burrows at prey passing by the entrance their burrows are buried deep into the ground up to one meter deep males are usually found wandering out of the burrows in search of a mate especially after it’s been raining so here’s some advice if you find yourself visiting australia and it’s just finished raining stay inside for a bit number one yellow sack spider it’s yellow has a sack and is a spider what else do you need to know this pale yellow spider with brown or black palps jaws tips of their feet and an orange stripe running through the top of its abdomen can be found in the eastern united states mainly outdoor spiders they will readily enter a house to breed or scary as stupid these spiders will bite when provoked and harassed but if treated with respect they are harmless and helpful growing up to nine millimeters long these spiders have a venomous bite that contains cytotoxin this poison kills cells in living tissue prematurely however there have been no recorded fatalities in humans from the bite of this particular spider the bite does cause moderate pain swelling itching nausea and dizziness the best approach to contain these spiders is to destroy its two sacks each sack holds approximately 30 to 50 eggs they hatch in the spring and could easily start taking over your living room if given half the chance if bitten the symptoms should be relieved within 7 to 10 days but medical guidance is advised to relieve pain you can apply ice or hydrogen peroxide to the affected areas all this talk about creepy crawlies really has my skin tingling some people love them others hate them insects come in all shapes and sizes some are cute and harmless others are ugly and dangerous there are even those that are a mixture of both whatever your opinion there are many that should be avoided if at all possible one tiny bite and your life may never be the same if you’re lucky you’ll live to tell the tale if you’re not well we all know how that goes don’t we also check out our other cool stuff showing up on screen right now see you next time