The Top Ten World's Most Venomous Insects (NEW!)

[TCE]

Hey guys, another one of my threads.

As always, please feel free to make your own top ten list with your own research. As I always state, this list isn’t going to be perfect. This is the best I came up with, with my own research and as you know, I am very involved with animals. Please do not take these lists so seriously and just enjoy them for what they are, considering they are just meant to be a bit of fun. With what I’ve studied over the years, I always want to show everyone my own research so it’s all in good nature.

This list is based on LD50, not how fast to kill or how many death cases (check my other threads for those). LD50 form is to measure the least venom dose enough to kill, usually tested on mice. Insects with lower LD50 will rank higher.

The Top Ten World’s Most Venomous Insects

10. Bag Shelter Processionary Caterpillar

Found: Brazil, Australia. They have bristles, attached to venom glands for defense, so when touched, can leave an irritating skin rash. An allergic reaction may cause anaphylactic shock which may lead to death. LD50: 11.2mg.

9. Fire Ant

Found: Asia, America and Europe. Fire ant causes the most bite cases and deaths among ants, around 20 deaths annually worldwide. Its sting causes a burning sensation and painful swelling on the skin. Death may occur because of allergic reaction causing anaphylactic shock. LD50: 8mg.

8. Africanized Honeybee (Killer Bee)

Found: North and South America. Killer bee causes second most human deaths annually among insects, just behind mosquito, around 600 deaths annually worldwide. Killer bee is the most aggressive bee; its sting causes painful swelling. Death may occur due to allergic reaction, causing anaphylactic shock or because of toxin effect, causing respiratory failure. LD50: 7.1mg.

7. Yellowjacket

Found: North America. Yellowjacket is the most aggressive wasp specie, causing the most bite cases among wasps. Its sting causes redness, itching and painful swelling on skin. Death may occur due to allergic reaction, causing anaphylactic shock. LD50: 3.5mg.

6. Western Honeybee

Found: Europe. Western honeybee is the most venomous bee, but less aggressive and attack cases are less common compared to the killer bee. Its sting causes itching, redness and painful swelling on skin, as well as feeling sick or vomiting. Death may occur because of allergic reaction, causing anaphylactic shock. LD50: 2.8mg

5. Paper Wasp

Found: North America, Europe. Paper wasp is the most venomous wasp and causes the most deaths among wasps, around 30 deaths annually worldwide. Its sting causes itching, redness, painful swelling on skin. More complications are diarrhea, fever, convulsion and kidney failure. Their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction in some individuals in just 30 minutes. LD50: 2.4mg

 

[TCE]

4. Giant Japanese Hornet

Found: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka. The giant Asian or Japanese hornet is the most venomous winged insect. It injects the hugest amount of venom from a single sting among insects, making it the most venomous insect per single sting. The Japanese Hornet is the largest and most fearsome Hornet in the world. The venom from this Hornet contains an enzyme which will dissolve bone and tissue; it could be fatal for a small person or has an allergic reaction. More than 40 people are killed each year by the stings from this hornet. It also may deliver a toxin effect, which causes respiratory failure. LD50: 1.6mg

3. Red Harvester Ant

Found: America. Red harvester ant is one of the most venomous ants, but less aggressive than fire ants. Its sting causes extreme painful swelling. Death may occur because of allergic reaction, causing anaphylactic shock in minutes. The main food source for red harvester ants usually consists of seeds, which they hoard in great numbers, and that’s how they got their name. Red Harvester Ants can be aggressive and have a painful sting that spreads through the lymph nodes, sometimes causing reactions, especially in animals allergic to their venom. They can also bite ferociously. Even though being one of the most venomous ants, human deaths are rare due to their rare presence. LD50: 0.66mg.

2. Lonomia Caterpillar (Assassin Caterpillar)

Found: South America, Brazil. Lonomia Caterpillar is the world’s most deadliest Caterpillar. Lonomia caterpillar is just as frail as any other caterpillars you might have seen, but that doesn’t stop it from causing severe serious internal hemorrhaging and even death, if you just touch it (brush pass it). Its venom is a very powerful anticoagulant venom. Even though seen in an isolated area, the rain forests of South America it causes a few deaths every year. Symptoms of Lonomia obliqua poisoning include severe internal bleeding (including brain bleeding), renal failure and hemolysis. LD50: 0.19mg

1. Yellow Harvester Ant

Found: Only in Arizona, America. Human deaths are rare. If you are bitten, bitten body part will swell, causing excruciating pain, and you’ll feel sick, may even vomit. In fact you could die if you have allergies. It is also called the Maricopa Harvester Ant. It’s the most venomous insect ever, with the lowest LD50 ever tested among insects. LD50: 0.12mg

Honerable mention:

Parotostigmus Scabricauda Centipede

Found: South America. Although not technically an insect, I think it deserves a mention among the undergrowth creatures. Parotostigmus scabricauda is the most venomous centipede species. Its sting usually causes itching, painful swelling on skin and allergic reaction. In some cases, kidney failure and cardiac arrest may happen, leading to death. LD50: 3.1mg (people may ask if I included this centipede, then why didn’t I include spiders? They aren’t insects either and check my top ten most venomous spider thread for their readings).

Australia isn’t half as bad after all

 

[blink_man182]

Centipedes poisonous or not give me the creeps. Could care less if they were wiped off the face of the earth. Although I'm sure it would have some wacky consequence.

 

[Zankou]

Great list! Thanks for putting it together!

Fun fact, ants are basically degenerate wasps, they evolved from wasp ancestors. So it's not surprisingly that so many of the top venomous insects are either wasps or ants.

Also "bag shelter processionary caterpillar" is one of the lamest names I have ever heard. God forbid that I end up being killed by a "bag shelter processionary caterpillar," I'd never live it down.

 

[SevenSamurai]

Paper Wasp sting is nothing to joke about -I can confirm it's intensity and shear pain. I got stung on the inside of my lip by a Yellow Jacket -not even close to the pain of a paper wasp sting. I don't find Honey bee stings to be that bad.

My brother almost died from Fire Ant stings but that is attributed to allergies.

 

[GhostZ06]

where is the bulldog ant or and bullet?

 

[WorldofWarcraft]

What? No spiders on the list?

 

[bmasters1993]

No Tarantula Hawk?

 

[TCE]

Great list! Thanks for putting it together!

Fun fact, ants are basically degenerate wasps, they evolved from wasp ancestors. So it's not surprisingly that so many of the top venomous insects are either wasps or ants.

Also "bag shelter processionary caterpillar" is one of the lamest names I have ever heard. God forbid that I end up being killed by a "bag shelter processionary caterpillar," I'd never live it down.

Yeah, it's crazy to think about, ants are basically wasps. But in my opinion, wasps are the worst kind of animals. I love animals but most types of species of wasps go around laying their eggs inside other animals, and then obviously the offspring eats that said animal. Worst kind of animals in my opinion. Ants actually have a really fascinating story when you study them and look into them more. They work together well and are constantly working.

I saw on an Attenborough program once that this caterpillar releases a chemical which attracts the ants to take it into their nest and cater all of its needs, but a wasp has evolved to seek out these nests (where the caterpillars are), the ants attack it but the wasp also triggers a chemical which distracts the ants and they start fighting eachother. Then the wasp injects its eggs into the caterpillar and flys off. Nature is amazing, but wasps are nasty things LOL.

 

[iThrillhouse]

When I read TCE....Top Ten

I always know I'm in for a good read!

 

[TCE]

No Tarantula Hawk?

Good call, you could probably put that at number 10. I haven't seen an official reading on their venom, but from what I just checked on sources, it could be around 9-10mg.

 

[AznTrojan]

fuck insects..

 

[TCE]

where is the bulldog ant or and bullet?

Good call on the bulldog ant, I don't know their official LD50. And the bullet ant hasn't got a potent venom, just their sting is actually the most painful out of any animal in kingdom animalia. Check out my thread of most painful stings/bites, it's at number one.

Thanks for the kind words guys, appreciate it.

 

[DoctorGonzo]

I gather there are no spiders because you are classing them as Arachnids ?

The Sydney funnel web is very deadly

 

[TCE]

I gather there are no spiders because you are classing them as Arachnids ?

The Sydney funnel web is very deadly

Yeah I posted this right under the centipede (in honorable mentions):

Found: South America. Although not technically an insect, I think it deserves a mention among the undergrowth creatures. Parotostigmus scabricauda is the most venomous centipede species. Its sting usually causes itching, painful swelling on skin and allergic reaction. In some cases, kidney failure and cardiac arrest may happen, leading to death. LD50: 3.1mg (people may ask if I included this centipede, then why I didn

 

[FLYOVER BOSSMAN]

Japanese hornets massacring bees



Awesome list like always, TS

 

[DoctorGonzo]

Yeah I posted this right under the centipede (in honorable mentions):

Found: South America. Although not technically an insect, I think it deserves a mention among the undergrowth creatures. Parotostigmus scabricauda is the most venomous centipede species. Its sting usually causes itching, painful swelling on skin and allergic reaction. In some cases, kidney failure and cardiac arrest may happen, leading to death. LD50: 3.1mg (people may ask if I included this centipede, then why I didn

 

[DrFIGHT]

Great list and very interesting read. Looking forward to the next one!

 

[DrFIGHT]

What? No spiders on the list?

These made me laugh so much!

 

[TCE]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate it. More to come