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10 Deadliest Insects

Reshma Jirage
Insects are included in the group of arthropods. There are some species of insects that are deadly, besides being a nuisance. Here are the 10 most deadliest of the lot.

Insects

Insects are among the most diverse group of animals. According to the modern insect classification, the Insecta is divided into 29 orders, such as Mantodea, Siphonaptera, Blattodea, Isoptera, Odonata, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, and Dermaptera.
They have segmented bodies, supported by an exoskeleton which is a hard outer covering made up of chitin. An insect's body is composed of three segments, including a head, abdomen, and thorax, along with six legs.
The head has a pair of compound eyes, one to three simple eyes, pair of sensory antennae, and three sets of variously modified appendages, forming the mouth parts.
There are several species of insects like the fly, praying mantis, butterfly, moth, dragonfly, beetle, true bug, ant, wasp, and bee. Also, numerous species are yet to be discovered by us. But from the ones we know, here are ten of the most problematic ones around.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are among the most deadliest insects on earth. They can easily transfer a set of diseases by biting people. The anopheles mosquito is the deadliest type, which is a carrier of blood-borne diseases such as malaria.
The female anopheles has two pairs of cutting stylets at the end of the proboscis, which can penetrate a victim's skin. They inject their saliva through, which are the malarial parasites injected into the victim's blood, giving rise to the symptoms of malaria.

Fleas

These small, wingless insects are the external parasites in birds and mammals. They are dark in color, and laterally compressed. Their flattened body allows them to move easily through the host's feathers or hair. They can jump vertically and feed on blood.
Fleas can spread the bubonic plague from rats to humans. If you get a fleabite, you can develop a swollen pustule, causing allergic reactions.

Bees

Normal solitary bees usually do not sting humans, as they die after this act. Killer bees do attack with the slight provocation. Bees have deadly stingers, which are used to inject poison into the victim.
Their sting can cause swelling and pain. Several people are allergic to bee stings, and can experience an anaphylactic shock, leading to death.

TseTse Flies

These are found in Africa, and feed on the blood of vertebrates. They are a carrier of a deadly sleeping sickness. They are responsible for spreading the disease trypanosomiases in humans.

Fire Ants

Typically living in the soil or sand, fire ants build large mounds and feed on plants and occasionally on smaller insects. Their stings typically give a sensation of burning. It swells up into a painful pustule.
A few stings can be treated; but multiple bites can be very troublesome. Their venom causes painful bumps on the victim's skin. They can develop into white pustules, which may get infected and turn into scars. People who are allergic to their venom can experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Locust

Locust swarms are known to destroy everything in their path. They belong to a sub-family of grasshoppers, and virulent mostly to plants and crops. When they invade farmlands, they strip bare all the crops. Thus, they indirectly contribute to starvation.

Wasps

They are social or solitary insects. Solitary wasps generally live and work with their group alone. Social wasps are found in colonies.
Wasps impose damage with their stingers, known as ovipositor. They are generally present in the females. These insects do not sting humans, unless their territories are being threatened. Many people are allergic to wasp stings, and experience shock, resulting in death.

African or Siafu Ants

When these ants face a food shortage, their entire colony marches and swipes everything off their way. They have huge pinchers, and attack in columns, which are around 200 feet long and 12 inches wide.
When they attack a particular house, they eat every moving thing inside that house, including spiders, mice, scorpions, and other insects, and even cats and dogs. Every year, about 25 - 50 people die from their stings, and nearly thousands of dollars in foodstuff gets damaged.

Giant Japanese or Asian Hornets

These are persistent hunters of larger insects including praying mantises and bees. These insects also attack beehives and eat the honeybee larvae. Their sting can measure up to six mm in length.
They inject eight types of chemicals, which can lead to pain and tissue damage. The hornet's crushing mandibles are another deadly weapon. Venom of the giant hornet is more toxic and lethal than that of wasps or bees. The hornet's sting contains a high concentration of the chemical acetylcholine, that causes pain.
It also consists of an enzyme which can dissolve human tissue. You can wear protective clothes or insect repellents and keep your surroundings clean in order to avoid direct contact with these insects.

Hemiptera-Kissing Bugs

They are known as the true bugs. They may vary from a millimeter to about 10 centimeters in size. Some of the insects of the Hemiptera group are cicadas, shield bugs, leaf hoppers, and plant hoppers.
They suck the blood of animals or the liquid from plant tissues using their sucking mouth parts, such as the mandibles and maxillae. These insects can transmit the Chagas Disease. It gives rise to some serious symptoms, such as malformation of the intestine and heart diseases.