insects may be some of the smallest creatures on Earth but size means nothing when it comes to excruciating levels of pain and death they can inflict on humans ranging from stings that will cause searing gruesome pain for over 12 hours to bugs that were even used as biological weapons in War these are 10 of the deadliest insects you hope to never encounter starting with an animal with such a potent toxin that it will burn bubble and boil your skin number 10 blister beetles blister beetles are named for their ability to produce cantharidin a potent toxin
that causes blistering on human skin and serves as a defense mechanism against predators so this is something that the beetle didn't just come up with to burn your skin alive instead this is a defense so when a bird swoops in and tries to eat the beetle it actually releases this toxin from its joints of all places as a defense mechanism to stop something from eating it this is like the most poisonous piece of candy you could ever imagine if you were a crow however their toxin poses a significant risk to horses the reason being these
beetles like to rummage around and nest in hay and alala which then gets cut up and fed to horses which can lead to severe gastrointestinal distress and often fatalities in horses so horse Farmers people who breed horses have to be really really careful if they live in high density areas of blister beetles blister beetles in habit diverse environments ranging from grasslands to deserts and are known to feed on a variety of plants including crops and flowers some species display swarming behaviors which is quite frankly terrifying particularly during feeding or mating as makes sense this swarming
can be problematic in agriculture settings as they not only feed on crops but they also pose a risk of contamination again in the hay for all of the animals that are eating it interestingly enough once we figured out cantharidin a little bit historically we started started to use it in medicine most notably in a concoction known as Spanish Fly which was an aphrodesiac um but this is this use is incredibly risky and can lead to severe poisoning so don't go licking blister beetles next up an animal that will swarm you to starvation number nine the
Locust locusts a giant type of grasshopper belonging to the family acri are renowned for their unique behavior of forming massive billion animal swarms setting them apart from your regular grasshopper that you'd find in the park these swarms are triggered by specific environmental conditions like a period of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth when it finally rains when this happens Locust will undergo a behavior change known as gregarization where they form colossal swarms during this transformation locusts experienc remarkable changes in their physical appearance they change color shape and even their brain chemistry will shift their behavior
from solitary to highly social beings focused on swarming which is a survival mechanism a single swarm can be made up of 40 to 80 million locusts per half square mile and up to 460 square miles in size that is an insane amount of bugs when they land and start chomping down a swarm that size could eat over 423 million pounds of crops in a single day this Devastation often lead leads to severe food shortages and even famine in affected regions posing a major threat to food security the duration of these Locust plagues can extend for
years that's right years of locust plagues influenced by environmental factors and control measures next up a wiggly worm covered in hairs so venomous that they'll cause blood clots number eight the Assassin caterpillar the Assassin caterpillar scientifically known as the larvae of lemonia B AKA silkworm moth is found primarily in the rainforests of South America including Brazil Venezuela and Argentina this caterpillar has become infamous for its highly venomous bristles posing a serious threat to humans and let me tell you as someone who got stung by one in South America it absolutely sucks and it's because these
guys are camouflaged perfectly in green or brown the Assassin caterpillar is covered with a series of bristles or spines which contain a potent top toxin upon contact with these bristles they break off penetrate the skin and then release the Venom slowly into your skin this Venom is particularly dangerous as it can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation also known as DIC a critical condition where blood clots form in small vessels throughout the body leading to severe internal and external bleeding and potentially lifethreatening situations immediate medical attention is crucial if someone is stung so imagine that your you're
sitting in the bush somewhere you decide to lean back and rest against a tree something stings you on the shoulder you don't even see it cuz it's this tiny hairy little caterpillar and all of a sudden it starts forming blood clots in the small vessel throughout your body which ultimately if left untreated or if it's severe enough will kill you immediate medical attention is crucial if someone is stung treatment typically involves an antivenom specific to the caterpillar along with supportive care for managing bleeding and other complications the V stored in sacks at the base of
each Hollow bristle is released when the bristles puncture the skin it possesses anti-coagulant properties that disrupt the blood's ability to clot properly causing symptoms like burning sensation vomiting kidney failure and of course cuz it's anti-coagulant internal bleeding and in some instances death next up a swarm of ants so aggressive they'll light your skin on fire number seven fire ants fire ants known for their aggressive behavior and painful sting are a group of stinging ants easily recognized by their red or reddish brown coloring and range in size from 2 to 6 mm they are characterized by
a copper brown head and body with darker abdomen originally native to South America thanks to humans moving things like wood and Timber around the world fire ants have made their way to various parts of the world including right here in the United States in China and Australia and they are thriving in warm climate across the planet these omnivorous insects feed on plant material other insects and small animals and are particularly noted for their aggressive nature especially when their nest is Disturbed often attacking in large numbers with repeated stings the sting of a fire ant delivers
a potent alkaloid Venom causing a burning sensation at the side of the bite hence the name fire ant this results in the formation of a pulle and intense itching that can persist for up to several days while while for most people The Sting results in a burning sensation and raise pules for those allergic to insect stings it can be far more severe potentially leading to anaphylactic reactions imagine this you live in North America you decide to go down to the neighborhood park you put your toddler down on the lawn they're playing they're running around they
accidentally kick over a heap of dirt that looks like nothing turns out it's an invasive fire ant nest and these fire ants with their aggressive nature swarm and sting that toddler repeatedly that toddler happens to be well weaker or younger or their immune system is not used to Venom like this as most toddlers wouldn't be that can lead to anaphylactic shock which of course can lead to death so it is quite a scary thing and it's a human cause thing that these ants have become so problematic even right here in the United States next up
a creature so deadly it has the word murder right in its name number six the Asian giant hornet often termed as the murder hornet in popular media the Asian giant hornet is recognized as the world's largest Hornet species originating from East Asia and parts of Russia constructing their nests in the ground often in forested or Mountain areas this Hornet has drawn attention for its impressive size aggressive nature and potent sting measuring up to 2 in in length with a wingspan of about 3 in the Asian giant hornet is easily identified Able by its distinct orange
and yellow head large eyes black and yellow striped abdomen and substantial mandible Asian giant hornets can use their mandibles shaped like spiked shark fins to wipe out a honeybee Hive in a matter of hours decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young predatory in nature they primarily feed on other insects especially bees and are notorious for their coordinated attacks on beehives killing adult bees and consuming the larvae and pupic their sting containing a potent neurotoxin is extremely painful to humans and can be lethal in the case of multiple stins particularly
for those allergic to be or wasp stings causing severe allergic reactions organ failure and even death one of the reasons the Asian giant hornet is such a problem is it not only poses a threat to humans but also to the honeybee populations as they will rapidly decimate beehives which is a problem for agriculture and ecosystems that are reliant on bees for pollinators and of course just for us to get honey recently as you may have seen in the news murder hornets have been found right here in North America particularly in the Pacific Northwest and we
believe they got here on cargo vessels this is really problematic because bees in North America are not used to murder Hornets they have no natural defense against them and they wouldn't even know how to begin to call the attacks that would be happening if murder Hornets became established here fort there are ongoing eradication efforts to prevent them establishing a new home right here in the US hey guys so when I'm filming a video like this I have to be sharp I have to be switched on and thinking of all these different facts and stats and
in order to do that I use magic mind it's a daily productivity shot that gives me amazing mental Clarity energy and focus and on top of that it tastes just great give it a try oh yeah next up sounds like something out of a horror movie number five Africanized honeybees Africanized honeybees often referred to as killer bees are a hybrid species of the western honeybee once again man-made this hybrid was created in the 1950s through crossbreeding the African honeybee with various European honeybee subspecies with the goal of breeding the perfect honeybee to make the most
possible honey production but of course it led to unforeseen and dramatic consequences after escaping quarantine these Africanized bees began breeding with local Brazilian honey bees and since then they have spread throughout much of South and Central America and even reach parts of the United States known for their heightened aggressiveness compared to other honeybee species Africanized honeybees are more inclined to defend their hive possessing a larger alarm Zone around their nests they respond more rapidly and in larger numbers to perceive threats and are known to pursue these threats over longer distances so in other words you
have your nice happy American bees and you walk by the The Hive they leave you alone when you have these Africanized honey bees when you get into a much broader area near to a hive that you may not even know is there they sound the alarm and the entire Hive attacks you and not just stings you for being close to the hive but will pursue you as you flee that area to try and get rid of you which they're perceiving as a threat these are basically attack bees while the Venom of Africanized bees is no
more potent than that of other honeybee species their tendency to sting in large numbers poses a significant risk especially if you're allergic to be stings in rare cases especially for the small percentage of people who experience anaphylactic allergic reactions bee stings from these bees can be fatal and the more Venom that you get the more that a bee stings you the more the hive hits you the more likely you are to go into anaphylactic shock and of course die next up a bug so grotesque that it gives you a little bite and then poops in
that bite to transmit a deadly parasite number four kissing bugs kissing bugs are a subf family of blood sucking insects notorious for their role in transmitting chagus disease a severe illness caused by tripos crui parasite these bugs typically measuring 14 to 24 mm in length are characterized by a cone-shaped head a thin AB abdomen and wings that are often brown or black with some species exhibiting reddish yellow or tan markings on their abdomen great so they're really hard to identify predominantly found in the Americas especially in Latin America kissing bugs inhabit a range of environments
including under porches between Rocky structures under cement in wood or brush piles beneath bark in rodent nests in animal barrows as well as even in your dog houses kennels and chicken coops these things are everywhere nocturnal by Nature they feed on blood of mammals birds and reptiles often biting humans on the face around the mouth or eyes which is how they earn their name the kissing bug okay here's something disgusting the reason the kissing bug is such a problem is because it transmits chagus disease so what is chugus disease you may ask it has to
bite you on the face byy your lips eyes mouth or ears and then on your face and then a little parasite crawls out of that poop and enters your blood system through the bite wound or the mucus membrane that can ultimately kill you then you have chagus disease and this disease can lead to long-term cardiac and gastrointestinal complications the initial phase of chagus disease may present symptoms like a fever or fatigue or body aches headache sometimes a rash or a loss of appetite diarrhea or vomiting so it seems like it's mild like you have the
flu or a bad cold from traveling however years later The Chronic phase can manifest with serious heart or digestive disorders as with other disease carriers that feed on vertebrate blood kissing bugs are primed to transmit bacteria viruses and parasites between hosts so in other words if you have something disgusting and it bites you and then it bites me now I have something disgusting in addition to the chagus disease but this isn't that big of a deal right you've probably never even heard of chagus disease before now wrong chagus disease currently infects between 6 and 7
million people worldwide and causes about 10,000 deaths a year so like the morning after spending a shady night with someone you'd never introduce your mother to go and get checked next up the true skin crawlers number three fleas fleas belonging to the order siphonaptera are small wingless insects recognized as external parasites feeding on the blood of mammals and birds but you know what fleas are you have a dog or a cat you've seen them before but what you may not know about fleas are their extraordinary jumping abilities fleas can leap vertically up to 33 cm
which is the same as a 6' tall human being jumping over a 50 story building that is nuts adult fleas require blood to reproduce and their bites can cause itching and irritation in their hosts you've probably seen that when your dog or cat is scratching itself crazy and while fleas often prefer non-human hosts like your pets they will buy humans and usually reside on their host or in their bedding so why is this bitey little jumpy bug such a problem seeing as we've probably all been bitten by them well most notably fleas are vectors for
several diseases they're Infamous for their role in transmitting the Bubonic plague between rodents and humans they killed over a quarter of Europe's population so not only have fleas spread literally one of the largest killing plagues in human history fleas are just excellent vectors for disease they spread it from animals to humans and humans to humans and not just disease but they are intermediate host for tapeworm so if you like some of that oldtime modeling advice and you're trying to lose some weight and you don't mind an itchy butt maybe go out and get yourself some
fleas the efficiency of fleas as disease carriers is so significant that they were even used in biological warfare that's right weaponized fleas in fact during World War II the Japanese Army deployed plague infected fleas in aird dropped attacks on Chinese cities next up a personal enemy that I have had the displeasure of being bitten by very many times number two the tsti fly tsti flies belong to the genus glossina and are well known for transmitting the parasites that cause African sleeping sickness when left untreated the mortality rate of African sleeping sickness is close to 100%
it is estimated that 50,000 to half a million people die from this disease every year these flies endemic to the African subcontinent and ramp in my home country of Zimbabwe play a crucial role in public health and agriculture across the region they're similar in size to a housefly but distinguishable by their long probiscus extending directly forward and a unique Wing structure where One Wing rests on top of the other Wing over their abdomen when at rest they prefer habitats that are dense vegetation and super humid ideal for their breeding tsy flies feed on the blood
of vertebrate animals delivering a potent bite that's stings like hell let me tell you when their serrated probiscus enters into your skin they serve as the primary vectors for the tripos causing sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle transmission occurs when an infected fly bites a human or an animal introducing the parasites into the bloodstream symptoms of sleeping sickness include fever headache joint pains and progress to Major neurological symptoms such as even Behavior changes confus sensory disturbances where light sounds and smells are overwhelming and even poor coordination which often can prove fatal in Africa
without treatment controlling csti populations is very very difficult because they're extremely widespread throughout the African continent and the efforts that are trying to control them are focusing on trapping insecticide spraying and unfortunately uh all kinds of things that are harmful to the environment but they're also doing some really interesting stuff like releasing sterile males so that when the females breed with them they're not actually reproducing which is you know it's its own form of biological warfare all of these control measures Have Been instrumental in reducing the instance of sleeping sickness my personal favorite is to
get yourself one of these a Bug Assault that's right this is a shotgun of salt for killing every setti fly you can get and for shooting your cameraman next up not just the deadliest ins but the deadliest creature on the entire planet number one mosquitoes mosquitoes small flying disease carrying vectors that can infect almost every human being on the planet no matter where you live now you know what a mosquito looks like so I'm not going to sit here and tell you that they have a head and a thorax and an abdomen and they have
wings and three pairs of long legs you know all that already what I am going to tell you is that females are larger than their male counterparts parts and they're the ones responsible for biting humans and animals to feed on blood necessary for their egg reproduction males conversely feed on nectar and do not bite people notoriously mosquitoes transmit a range of diseases to humans and animals including malaria Deni fever zika virus westnile virus yellow fever various forms of En sephtis they are bad with over 3,500 species of mosquito inhabiting nearly every type of environment across
the planet most species breed in stagnant or slow-moving water controlling mosquito populations is a multifaceted approach involving the elimination of breeding sites use of insecticides and personal protective measures such as sleeping under a mosquito net putting on bug spray wearing protective clothing so on and so forth some areas also employ biological control methods like introducing natural mosquito Predators or using genetically modified mosquitoes notably mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth in terms of human fatalities however it is not the mosquitoes themselves but the parasites bacteria and viruses they carry and transmit through their bites that
are deadly among these malaria transmitted exclusively by females of the anopheles genus is the most deadly this bloodborne parasitic disease claimed an estimated 69,000 human lives in 2021 underscoring the critical importance of ongoing efforts to control and mitigate the impact of these blood sucking insects look I hate doing this at the end of the video but you guys know that it helps the channel so go ahead and like And subscribe and put in the comments below what top 10 list you would like me to run through next thank you
