10 Predatory Insects To Avoid At All Costs

Everyone tends to see some sort of a bug or insect on a daily basis, and most of them are prey animals that feed on each other, or end up being fed on by birds or spiders. We tend to give no mind to these little insects, as they are smaller than us by a long shot. However, some of them are actually perfect little killers that have evolved in nature to take down a formidable opponent with their sting or bite. Some of these can even stop a grown man in his tracks. Here are ten daunting predatory insects we’d prefer to avoid.

Robber Fly

There are around 120,000 different species of flies in the world, and some of those are extreme predators. The Robber fly, for example, can fly at high speed and catches other insets in the air. They inject a neurotoxin with each sting to kill their victim.

Water Scorpion

The Water Scorpion has a terrifying appearance, and despite the name it is actually an insect. They are harmless to human beings, but when it comes to aquatic animals, these little devils will eat just about anything in their path.

Arachnocampa luminosa

Arachnocampa luminosa is a type of gnat living in New Zealand. As an adult, they do not feed whatsoever. As a larvae, however, they are predators that live in dark, secluded areas. Their silk threads hang from the roof of a cave and capture prey alive. Each thread is coated with venom.

Tiger Beetle

The Tiger Beetle is capable of running at 5 miles per hour, and is so fast that it needs to stop every few meters to check for prey, as their eyes cannot process movement that quickly. They tend to feed on smaller animals, and have sharp mandibles to sever limbs from insects.

Antlion

The Antlion is a creepy little bug that tends to feed on pollen and nectar when fully grown. As a larvae, though, they prey on other insects, developing some truly nasty methods to capture. The antlion will bury itself in a pit, then lurch forward on an unsuspecting bug and eat it.

Assassin Bug

The Assassin Bug is one of the smartest killer bugs in the world. They are completely harmless to humans, thankfully, but are capable of using their needle-like mouths to inject a lethal amount of saliva into their prey, killing them. They then suck the innards out in a liquid form from their saliva.

Dragonfly

While the dragonfly is known for being a truly beautiful and impressive animal, they are still one of the greatest aerial predators in the world. They have evolved over 300 million years to capture any other insect in their eyesight. They even hunt spiders.

Saifu Ant

The Saifu Any is well known throughout Africa, as entire colonies have attacked and devoured human beings. The ant colony is completely blind, and will wander down the throats of their victims, suffocating them alive before consuming their insides.

Praying Mantis

The Praying Mantis is the most well known predator in the insect world. They have “raptorial legs” that are used to cut down smaller prey. The mantis is also quite fast, and will begin feeding before their victim is even fully dead.

Japanese Hornet

The Japanese Hornet is basically Hell reincarnated on Earth. These “tiger hornets” are relentless predators who will kill anything they capture, and even human beings. When they attack a human, the entire hive will chase the person down for miles until they are dead.