Most Dangerous Bugs

25

Termites

www.ozane.com

While they are not dangerous in the typical sense of the word as they play a critical role in the environment and even in some culture’s diets, they have the potential to cause major damage to crops and infrastructure.

24

Lice

www.licelifters.com

Lice are wingless scavengers that feed on the skin of the host’s body, or on other secretions such as blood. On the average, humans who serve as hosts to lice have about fifteen different species of lice on their heads. Although like termites they are not always dangerous to humans in the classic sense they do have the ability to transmit diseases.

23

Deer Tick

Every year the Deer Tick infects thousands of people with Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease begins with a rash around the bite resembling a bull’s eye. Early symptoms include head ache and fever. As time passes, the victim will suffer stiff joints and heart problems. Few victims die from the disease but their suffering can go on for years.

22

Army Ants

commons.wikimedia.org

The first creature on our list that would be dangerous in the typical sense of the word, army ants are known for their aggression, especially as predators. Unlike other species of ants, army ants do not construct their own permanent nests. Instead, they build colonies that move from one place to another. These predators incessantly move during the day, preying upon insects and other small vertebrates. In fact the entire colony put together can consume over  half a million prey animals each day.

21

Yellow Jackets

www.buffaloexterminating.com

Although most yellow jackets are little more than a pest, certain species such as the German yellow jacket of North America are bold and aggressive, and if provoked, they can sting repeatedly and painfully. They will even mark their aggressors and pursue them if provoked.

20

Black Widows

animals.nationalgeographic.com

Although the sting of a female black widow spider can be very harmful to humans due to the neurotoxins released, if medical attention is sought immediately then the effects of the bite can be limited to little more than some pain.

19

Puss Caterpillars

nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu

Although they look cute and furry, and even supposedly derived their name from their resemblance to “pussy cats”, do not be deceived. Their fur hides spines that can cause an extremely painful reaction upon contact with human skin and sometime  chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing.

18

Cockroaches

www.butterflies.org

One of the best known disease carrying bugs, cockroaches have been known to carry numerous disease agents that can be very dangerous to humans. And here’s a fun fact for you – they can live for months without food and water.

17

Parasitic Worms

web0.eco1013.ncsrv.de

Parasitic worms are a type of eukaryotic parasite that get their nourishment from absorbing the nutrients of their hosts by sucking their blood. Most parasitic worms are known to dwell inside the digestive tract of humans and cause insomnia, vomiting, nausea, and numerous other issues.

16

Bed Bugs

npic.orst.edu

A longstanding human parasite, while they may not cause excruciating pain or death, their bites can potentially lead to negative psychological effects and allergic symptoms.

15

Human Bot Flies

oxfordmedicine.com

Human botflies have larvae that can transmit life threatening parasites to humans. Also known as torsalo or American warble flies, human botflies are typically transfered by mosquitoes and ticks. When a mosquito carrying the larva of a human botfly lands on the human skin, it drops off the larva onto the skin and leaves it there. After a few days, this larva develops under the layer of the skin and may cause serious infection if not immediately treated.

14

House Centipedes

www.alexanderwild.com

House centipedes are most known for their pairs of venom claws called forcipules. Their bites are deemed hazardous to humans because they are very painful and can cause severe swelling that can last for days.

13

Black Spitting Thick Tail Scorpion

www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com

Although not technically fitting into the bug category, black-spitting thick tailed scorpions are among the most dangerous species of scorpions. Most of them live in South Africa, especially in deserts. They are most known for their thick tails and thin claws. These scorpions have the ability to spit out venom through their tails. They stings can cause pain, paralysis and death among humans.

12

Assassin Bugs

www.wild-facts.com

Well known for carrying Chagas disease, these parasitic bugs often infect people living in poor, rural parts of the Americas.

11

Bullet Ants

www.antstuff.net

Called bullet ants because victims often describe the feeling of being stung by this ant as equal to the feeling of being shot by a gun, a person bitten by this ant can feel throbbing and unabated pain that can last for more than a day.

10

Brazilian Wandering Spider

www.tumblr.com

Also known as Phoneutria, Brazilian wandering spiders are venomous and defensive spiders that live in tropical South America and Central America. In the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records, this type of spider was named as the most venomous spider in the world because of its toxicity.

9

Anopheles Mosquito

www.entm.purdue.edu

Best known for transmitting malaria as well as other diseases, these mosquitos have been responsible for numerous epidemics in the tropical regions of the world.

8

Rat Fleas-

 photo- www.