Top 10 Deadliest Insects In The World

We are sure that among wild animals and insects you will definitely choose wild animals to be scarier but you should not consider the only size. An insect though is small in size but can severely affect even an elephant. The sting of a small insect can be lethal and can inject poisonous venom causing serious diseases. Here I am presenting a list of the 10 deadliest insects in the world.

Deadliest Insects In The World

1. Mosquito

Mosquito is about 0.125 to 0.75 inches long weighing 0.000008 ounces with an average lifespan of 2 weeks to 6 months. As we all know, the mosquito is a very small insect but its sting can cause life-threatening diseases and infections. It includes malaria, yellow fever, and dengue. You will be surprised to know that only female mosquitoes bite using their funnel-shaped mouth. Its eyes have thousands of lenses that enable them to point in all directions. It is found everywhere in the world.

Also Read: Top 10 Deadliest Scorpions In The World

2. Kissing Bug

Kissing Bug is called so because it bites around the mouth and eyes on the face and leaves the bite marks. Kissing Bug is about 0.5 to 1 inch long, has an oval body, and is light brown to black in color. Its saliva has the capability to cause itching, redness, and swelling. It is found in South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the United States. It feeds on the blood of humans and other animals.

Image Source: Jo Zimny Photos

3. Bees

The bee is about 0.6 inches long weighing 0.002 Kg with a short lifespan of 5 to 7 weeks. It is light brown and golden yellow in color found everywhere in forests, grasslands, and gardens except in Antarctica. It is a herbivores insect feeding on nectar from flowers, pollen, and plants. Only bees are having stingers and its sting is really painful and harsh. If threatened, it can cause several attacks.

Image Source: Wikimedia

4. Black Widow Spider

Black Widow Spider is about 1.2 to 1.6 cm long and weighs 0.85 grams. Its body is black with two reddish triangular markings. This red color mark is a warning sign to predators. It is found in temperate regions of North America and Asia. About 32 species of Black Widow Spider are known.

It eats other small creatures and insects like beetles, caterpillars, flies, mosquitoes, etc trapped in its web. A female spider turns around its body and shows a red spot to warn the predators. A female black widow spider is more aggressive and bigger than a male and its bite is so venomous that it can show the way to fatality.

5. Army Ant

Army ant is about 0.25 to 0.5 inches long and is dark brown or black colored having an orange abdomen. It is found in deserts and tropical areas of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. It is having a life expectancy of more than 20 years. It has long and pointed hook-shaped mandibles. It appears like a spider and uses its tarsal hooks to cross the rough area. It is an omnivores insect feeding on insects, lizards, ants, frogs, birds, and everything that comes in its way. Heir bite causes pain and can harm only to a little extent.

Image Source: Wikimedia

6. Fleas

The flea weighs around 0.002 lb and has a small, wingless flat brown body with 6 legs. It has a life expectancy of 3 to 12 months. It is found in shady, humid, and moist areas all around the world. It is acknowledged for its jumping capacity and covering great distances even in the absence of wings. Its body is covered with sclerite which enables it to withstand great pressure. It survives only on the host’s body like dogs and cats. Flea generally poses a little threat to humans but does great harm to pet animals. Its bite can cause severe itching and requires medical attention.

Image Source: Wikimedia

7. Ticks

The tick is around 3 to 5 mm long and is brown-black in color. It is having a minimum lifespan of 3 months and a maximum of 3 years. It is found in warm and humid regions all over the world. It is a parasite that is responsible for transferring microbes to higher organisms. It is a small bug that sucks the blood of other animals. As it sucks more and more blood, it turns into a greenish-blue creature. Tick is known to cause severe diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Colorado tick fever which causes rashes, red spots, joint pain, headache, weakness, and nausea.

Image Source: Wikimedia

8. Ant

Ant is a very small insect about 0.2 to 2.5 cm long and weighs 1 to 5 milligrams. It can survive for just a few weeks or many years also. Ant can be red, black, green, metallic with a head and a waterproof exoskeleton made of Chitin. It is found all over the world except Antarctica. There are about 1200 known species of ants. Ant uses its powerful jaws for biting the predators whenever it is threatened.

The ant is an omnivore insect feeding on fruits, small insects, the sap of plants, and insect eggs. Ants are so powerful that they can carry 100 times more weight than their own weight. The bite of an ant pinches the skin causing pain, irritation, and redness.

Image Source: Wikimedia

9. Bot Fly

Bot Fly is about 0.4 to 0.7 inches long having a yellow face and bluish abdomen. It is found in Tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa and America. Bot fly larva infects and grows in the host body and it nourishes inside causing Myiasis infection. People generally don’t die from this infection but it causes skin ulcers which in sensitive people can show the way to death. It is one of the deadliest insects in the world.

Image Source: Wikimedia

10. Fire Ant

The fire ant is about 0.2 to 0.5 cm long and is usually reddish-brown in color. It has a life span of around 5 to 6 years. It is found in sub-tropical areas of the United States. It lives in the soil near water bodies to get moisture. It is very grumpy and attacks anything intruding into its colony. It leaves a painful, burning bite on its victim. Its venom is allergic to humans. It is a dominating and competitive insect. It is an omnivore feeding on plants, seeds, and sometimes small animals also. It is one of the animals that start with f.