5 Creepiest, Crawliest Insects on Earth

Did you know that at any given moment there are roughly 200 million insects per human on earth? That’s a lot of newspaper swatting. While those rumors of inadvertent spider eating persist (calm down, everyone: it’s actually pretty unlikely), bugs tend to keep out of our living and working spaces, thanks to sound building practices and other preventative measures. Once we’re out among nature, however, it’s a whole other ball game, as we have stepped into their realm, where they – rather like us, in our indoor settings – are just trying to go out about their daily business with as few interruptions as possible. Kids’ movies have made this daily business look pretty darn cute, but the fact is, there are some insects out there that are dangerous – nay, downright deadly if you mess with them or get in their way. These are the kinds of bugs that make you wish you were dealing with termites or ants, because those at least can be exterminated – and won’t fight back with death-dealing venom! In case you were wondering, here are five of the creepiest, crawliest and most downright frightening insects inhabiting the world with us.

1. Japanese Giant hornet. Mature Japanese Giant Hornets, which actually live outside the major world city of Tokyo (and account for something around 40 human deaths per year), can reach lengths of up to three inches. Adding terror to their eye-popping size is their penchant for spewing poison which is known to burn the flesh off people’s faces – and they shoot for the eyes. Around 30 to 40 of these hornets might seek out and utterly decimate bee hives of 30,000 bees, attacks during which the hornets slaughter all the adults and then make off with the young – to feed their own young.

2. Deer ticks. These tiny insects, which often appear no bigger than a fraction of a dime in size, can wreak terrible consequences on the humans who come in contact with them. They are quite common in North America, particularly wooded areas like forests in the Midwest and East. After hooking onto a human host, they can feed off the blood for up to four days before falling off, but their main concern to us is the spread of Lyme disease. While Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, when left undetected it can cause fatigue and, in worst-case scenarios, psychosis.

3. African ants. If there is one word to describe African ants, it’s this: hungry. These insects have been known to obliterate every possible food source in a given area with colonies that rage around 20 million strong. What’s even scarier is that they account for up to 50 human deaths each year, mostly the very old or very young.

4. Black Widow spider. With its infamous name and even more infamous bedroom habits (where females are murdering the male after a mating session; though this is true, it is not as widespread a behavior as popular culture might suggest) the Black Widow spider is quite dangerous to humans if provoked. While the amount of venom released during a bite isn’t enough to kill most people, it is powerful enough to cause some serious pain and difficulty breathing.

5. Bullet ant. In the rainforests of South America there lives a tree-dwelling ant that can grow up to an inch in length. When it feels as though its nest is being threatened, this ant can administer a knock-you-on-your-butt painful sting, which some say resembles the agony of being shot (by a bullet, hence its name) – that is, after it literally shrieks at you to get away. For the unfortunate adventurers who come across this ant, the next 24 hours tend to be full of unremitting waves of burning, torturous pain.

About the Author: Lauren C. Larson is a contributing writer and homeowner in California, who has called on Pacific Coast Termite to remove a pest or two.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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