Outlaw
Every bug in the Wild Files scoring 75–89 on the Wild Pest's proprietary 0-100 wildness rating. The Six Legs Score™ combines biology, strangeness, human impact, cultural prominence, and visual drama.
384 on file
Desert Locust
Solitary green bug, until crowded. Then it turns yellow, swarms, and darkens the sky.
Ant-Decapitating Fly
Tiny parasitoid fly. Larva DECAPITATES fire ants by consuming brain and pupating in detached ant HEAD.
Asian Hornet (Yellow-Legged Hornet)
Major invasive European pest. Hovers at beehives intercepting HONEY BEES — thousands of bees killed daily.
Sirex Woodwasp
Injects FUNGAL SPORES into pine trees with eggs. Fungus digests wood for the larva. Major invasive pine pest globally.
Granulate Ambrosia Beetle
Insect farmer. Carries fungus in body pouches, plants it in tree tunnels, eats the harvest. 60M years old.
Emerald Cockroach Wasp (Jewel Wasp)
Stings the cockroach's BRAIN. Cockroach becomes zombie. Wasp leads her by the antenna into the grave.
Greater Wax Moth
Caterpillar DIGESTS plastic — first discovered in 2017. 40,000× faster than environmental degradation.
Mexican Honey Wasp
Wasp that makes honey. Centuries-old delicacy in Mexico. Pollinator AND predator AND honey producer.
Sydney Funnel-Web Spider
Sydney's only deadly spider. Venom kills humans but barely affects dogs. Antivenom has stopped every death since 1981.
Conehead Termite
Soldier with CONE-SHAPED HEAD that sprays STICKY DEFENSIVE GLUE. Invaded south Florida in 2001.
Saint Helena Giant Earwig
LARGEST EARWIG ever known. 8 cm. Endemic to Saint Helena. Now believed EXTINCT (last seen 1967).
Coconut Crab
LARGEST land-living arthropod on Earth. 4 kg, 1 m leg span. Climbs trees and opens coconuts.
Indian Red Scorpion
World's most lethal scorpion. Pre-treatment childhood mortality 30-40%. Cardiac autonomic storm.
Elephant Mosquito
Largest mosquito on Earth. Adults DON'T bite. Larvae eat 200+ Aedes mosquito larvae each. Used as biocontrol.
Darwin's Bark Spider
Strongest natural material on Earth. Silk 10× tougher than kevlar. Webs span 25 meters across rivers.
Spanish Fly (Blister Beetle)
Source of the cantharidin 'aphrodisiac.' Hypermetamorphic life cycle. Hitchhikes on bees to their nests.
Arizona Bark Scorpion
Only deadly US scorpion. Glows blue-green under UV light. Lurks under bark and inside shoes.
House Centipede
The bathroom centipede everyone has screamed at. Eats cockroaches and bed bugs. Not actually an insect.
Human Botfly
Doesn't bite you. Hires the mosquito to deliver its eggs. Hatches under your skin.
Brazilian Wandering Spider
World's most venomous spider. Doesn't build webs — wanders. Found in shoes, banana shipments.
Deathstalker Scorpion
Deadliest scorpion on Earth. Venom: $39M per gallon. Used to light up brain tumors.
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Sees 12 colors. Punches at 50 mph. The flash is hotter than the sun's surface.
Argentine Ant
One global super-colony. Ants from Italy and Portugal recognize each other as family.
Evergreen Bagworm
Caterpillar drags SILK BAG. Adult female NEVER LEAVES THE BAG — wingless, legless, eyeless, mates inside.
Yellow Crazy Ant
World's 100 worst invasive species. Killed 10-15 MILLION red crabs on Christmas Island. Catastrophic.
Khapra Beetle
Most-feared stored grain pest. Larvae survive YEARS without food. One specimen triggers container fumigation.
Fat-Tailed Scorpion
Latin name means 'man-killer.' Hundreds of deaths per year across North Africa and the Middle East.
Meadow Spittlebug
Lives in a froth-bubble of her own waste. Adults jump at 400g — highest acceleration of any animal. Olive disease vector.
Spider Wasp
Hunts tarantulas. Paralyzes them. Drags them home for one egg. Sting rated 4.0 — the worst.
Asian Giant Hornet
Slaughters whole bee colonies in hours. Wears a sting that breaks down flesh.
Asian Weaver Ant
Builds nests using their own larvae as living glue guns. Used as pesticide for 1,500 years.
Tsetse Fly
Reshaped the map of Africa. Gives birth to single larvae. Carries sleeping sickness.
Orchid Bee
Male orchid bees curate custom perfumes over weeks. Used to attract mates. Only animal that does this.
Texas Leafcutter Ant
US leafcutter ant. 1-2 million workers per colony. Excavates 8m-deep underground fungus farms.
Postman Butterfly
Eats pollen — only butterfly that does. Lives 6+ months. Centerpiece of modern speciation research.
Velvet Worm
Squirts adhesive slime to trap prey. 540 million years old. Closest living relative of arthropods.
Caddisfly
Larvae build portable cases. French artist had caddisflies build cases from gold and gemstones.
Cat Flea
Most common flea worldwide. Jumps 100× her body length at 100g. Dominant flea on cats, dogs, humans.
Fairyfly
Smallest insect on Earth. 0.139 mm. Smaller than a single Paramecium. Fully functional brain.
Camel Spider
Third major arachnid order. Largest jaws-to-body ratio in arachnids. The fastest arachnid runner.
Periodical Cicada (17-Year)
Spends 17 years underground. Emerges by the trillion. Picks 17 because it's prime.
Lord Howe Island Stick Insect
Declared extinct in 1920. Found on a sea-cliff in 2001. Now back from the brink.
Giant Water Bug
Largest true bug on Earth. Eats frogs and turtles. Bite is worse than a wasp sting. Father carries the eggs.
Oak Apple Gall Wasp
Wasp HIJACKS oak DNA to grow GOLF-BALL-SIZED protective galls around her developing larvae.
Macleay's Spectre
Australian giant spiny stick insect. Four defensive behaviors. Popular giant pet stick insect worldwide.
Sheep Tick (Castor Bean Tick)
Primary European LYME DISEASE vector. Also vectors tick-borne ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS. 65K+ Lyme cases/year in Europe.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Catastrophic forest pest. Has killed essentially ALL mature eastern hemlocks across Appalachia.
Coffee Berry Borer
Single most damaging pest of COFFEE worldwide. $500M-$1B annual losses. Detoxifies CAFFEINE with gut microbes.
Fall Armyworm
Major NA agricultural pest. INVADED Africa in 2016, Asia in 2018, Australia in 2020. Threat to global food security.
Hellgrammite
Predatory aquatic larva of dobsonfly. 6-9 cm. Massive sickle jaws. Most-prized live bait in NA stream fishing.
European Beewolf
Solitary wasp that EXCLUSIVELY hunts HONEY BEES. Cultivates antibiotic-producing bacteria in antennal glands.
Tongue-Eating Louse
Severs a fish's tongue and PERMANENTLY REPLACES it with her own body. Only known parasite that replaces a host organ.
Lone Star Tick
Bite makes you ALLERGIC TO MAMMALIAN MEAT. Alpha-gal syndrome — discovered 2009.
Bulldog Ant
Australia's giant primitive ants. Massive sickle jaws. Sees prey from 1 meter. Most ANCIENT surviving ant lineage.
Marmalade Hoverfly
4 BILLION migrate across Britain annually. Largest insect migration on Earth. Pollen mass ~80M tons.
Giant Tachinid Fly
8,200+ species, all parasitoids of other arthropods. Free natural pest control.
Horse Bot Fly
Lays eggs on horse's front legs. Horse licks. Larvae develop in mouth, then attach to stomach wall for 10 months.
Hornet Moth
Moth that mimics a European hornet so well even entomologists are fooled. Wings are transparent.
Mantisfly
Lacewing that evolved into a mantis. Larva hitchhikes on spiders to eat their eggs.
Asp Caterpillar (Southern Flannel Moth)
Looks like a piece of cotton. Sting reportedly the most painful in North America. Pet your kid.
Cochineal Insect
Source of carmine red dye for 2,000+ years. Aztec second-most-valuable trade after gold. In your lipstick.
Cottony Cushion Scale
Almost destroyed California citrus in 1888. Saved by 130 imported Australian ladybeetles. Founded biocontrol.
Pea Aphid
Female gives live birth to clones already pregnant with their own clones. Photosynthesizes. Trillions of her.
Fig Wasp
Each fig species has ONE specific wasp. She enters, loses her wings, lays eggs, dies inside. 80 million years.
Western Black Widow
Red hourglass on a black mirror. Venom 15× rattlesnake by weight. Doesn't always eat the male.
Velvet Ant ('Cow Killer')
Not an ant. Wingless wasp. Sting painful enough to be called 'cow killer.' Indestructible armor.
Golden Silk Orb-Weaver
Spins golden silk strong as kevlar. The 2009 spider-silk cape took 1.2 million spiders.
Klamath Weed Beetle
Foundational NA weed-biocontrol success. Reduced invasive Klamath weed by 99% in western US in 10 years.
Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (European Ground Beetle)
Brilliant metallic GREEN-AND-GOLD ground beetle. INTRODUCED to NA in 1905 to control invasive spongy moth.
Death-Watch Beetle
Tapping wood beetle. Folk DEATH OMEN. Major pest of HISTORIC OAK TIMBER in European architecture.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of PIERCE'S DISEASE in California vineyards. Threatens $58B CA wine industry. Killed Italian olive trees.
Northern Black Widow
Eastern NA black widow. 'Broken' RED HOURGLASS marking. Potent neurotoxic venom (alpha-latrotoxin).
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Second-most important managed pollinator on Earth. Essential for ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION worldwide.
Giant Isopod
Largest known isopod on Earth. 50 cm. Looks like a giant pillbug. FASTS for FIVE YEARS at a time.
Cattle Warble Fly (Heel Fly)
Larvae burrow into cattle legs, migrate ALONG THE SPINAL CORD, and exit from 'warbles' on the back.
Green Bottle Fly
FDA-approved for medical maggot therapy. Eats dead tissue, kills MRSA, stimulates healing.
Cookie Cutter Spider
Rear is flattened into a HARDENED DISC marked like a coin. Uses the disc as a literal door to seal her burrow.
Snouted Termite (Nasute Termite)
Termite soldier with a snout that SPRAYS sticky resin. Mandibles abandoned entirely. 1 cm range.
Chinese Mantis
Largest mantis in North America. Eats hummingbirds at feeders. Sold as 'beneficial' garden biocontrol.
Headlight Click Beetle (Cucujo)
Brightest bioluminescent terrestrial insect. Cuban miners used live beetles as flashlights.
Tobacco Hornworm
10 cm green caterpillar with red 'horn.' Major model organism. Devastates tomato gardens.
Emerald Ash Borer
Killed 100 million ash trees since 2002. Most economically destructive forest insect ever introduced to North America.
Sea Spider
Marine arthropod with internal organs IN the legs. Antarctic giants reach 70 cm leg span.
Giant Ichneumon Wasp
Drills 12 cm into wood with her abdomen to lay an egg on a wasp larva. Larva eats it alive. Darwin's parable.
Tawny Crazy Ant
Neutralizes fire ant venom. Displaces fire ants. Shorts out electrical gear by sheer mass.
Monarch Butterfly
Migrates 4,800 km — across four generations — to a forest none of them have ever seen.
Tarantula Hawk
Hunts tarantulas. Paralyzes them. Lays an egg inside the still-living body.
Codling Moth
World's most damaging apple pest — the proverbial 'WORM IN THE APPLE'. $1B+ annual global losses.
Asian Blue Cattle Tick
Most damaging tick species globally. $20-30B annual cattle losses. Successfully eradicated from US in 1943.
Two-Striped Walking Stick
SPRAYS toxic chemical defense up to 40 cm — intensely irritating to vertebrate eyes. 'Devil rider' walking stick.
Garden Symphylan
Tiny white 12-legged 'pseudocentipede'. Separate ancient arthropod class. Major NA vegetable seedling pest.
Hide Beetle
Forensic entomology bug — arrival time on corpses estimates time-of-death. Used by museums to clean skeletons.
European Elm Bark Beetle
Primary vector of DUTCH ELM DISEASE. Killed tens of millions of American elms across NA since 1930s.
Cinnabar Moth
Brilliant CRIMSON-RED-AND-BLACK day-flying moth. Most successful weed-biocontrol species ever introduced to NA.
Green Peach Aphid
Most economically damaging APHID in the world. Attacks 875+ plant species. Transmits 100+ plant viruses.
American Dog Tick
Major NA vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Also tick paralysis. Wood-tick of NA hiking trails.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Invasive wood-boring beetle. Threatens NA maple forests. $700M USDA eradication effort.
Japanese Beetle
Most polyphagous invasive beetle in NA. Eats 300+ plant species. $460M annual damage.
Regal Moth (Hickory Horned Devil)
Caterpillar is the LARGEST in North America. Looks like a dragon. Completely harmless.
Giant Vinegaroon
Looks like a scorpion. Sprays CONCENTRATED VINEGAR. No venom. No sting. Just weaponized acetic acid.
Body Louse
Vector of typhus that killed 30M+. Dated origin of human clothing. Lives only in the seams of your clothes.
Diabolical Ironclad Beetle
Survives being run over by a car. 39,000× body weight. Aerospace engineers copy her shell.
Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)
Renamed from 'gypsy moth' in 2022. Released in Massachusetts in 1869. Has defoliated tens of millions of acres.
Brazilian Treehopper
Wears alien-helicopter rotors on her head. Function still unknown. The most bizarre insect ornament in the world.
Wētāpunga (Giant Wētā)
Heavier than a sparrow. Endemic to one NZ island. The mammal-substitute insect of an island without mammals.
Death's-Head Hawkmoth
Skull on the thorax. Squeaks. Robs beehives by smelling like a bee.
African Driver Ant
22 million workers per colony. Raid in columns kilometers long. Clean a house in hours.
African Dung Beetle
Navigates by the Milky Way. Rolls perfect straight lines. Pound-for-pound, the strongest insect ever measured.
Amazonian Giant Centipede
Largest centipede on Earth. Hangs from cave ceilings to ambush bats mid-flight.
Goliath Birdeater
Largest spider on Earth by weight. Defends itself by hissing and flicking itch-bombs.
Fire-Chaser Jewel Beetle
Detects forest fires from 80 km away. Flies INTO them. Lays eggs in still-smoking wood.
Compass Termite
Builds termite mounds aligned to true magnetic north. Uses Earth's magnetic field.
Common Mayfly
Adult life: 24 hours. Sometimes 5 minutes. The order's name means 'short-lived wing.'
Assassin Bug
Liquefies prey from inside out. Wears disguises of dust, lint, or the corpses of past kills.
Titan Beetle
Largest beetle in the world. 17 cm long. Snaps a pencil with her jaws. Larva has never been seen.
Citrus Leafminer
Larvae develop INSIDE citrus leaves. Diagnostic SERPENTINE silver mine trails visible in leaves.
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Major NA cucurbit pest. Vectors BACTERIAL WILT. 11 black spots on yellow-green elytra.
California Carpenter Bee
Western NA carpenter bee. Females shiny black; MALES bright GOLDEN-YELLOW with green-gold eyes.
Trichogramma Wasp
TINY parasitoid wasp (0.3 mm). BILLIONS commercially mass-reared per year for agricultural pest control.
California Red Scale
Most damaging scale insect pest of CITRUS worldwide. Foundational AUGMENTATIVE biocontrol case study.
Brown-Tail Moth
Caterpillar covered in URTICATING HAIRS that cause severe rash and respiratory irritation in humans.
Brown Planthopper
Major rice pest of Asia. Causes 'HOPPERBURN' — entire fields die in days when populations explode.
Diamondback Moth
Most damaging cruciferous crop pest worldwide. $4-5B annual losses. FIRST documented case of insect Bt resistance.
Citrus Longhorned Beetle
Sister to Asian longhorned beetle. Attacks 100+ tree species. Major global invasive forest pest.
Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Major invasive soft-fruit pest. Lays eggs INSIDE firm ripe intact fruits using SERRATED ovipositor.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Most economically destructive global fruit pest. Attacks 250+ plant species. Hundreds of millions in CA control costs.
Squash Bee
OBLIGATE squash specialist. Co-evolved with Cucurbita. Allowed pre-Columbian squash agriculture to spread north.
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
Brilliant metallic BLUE-BLACK with white POLKA DOTS and bright RED abdomen tip. Oleander pest in southern US.
Apple Maggot Fly
Foundational SYMPATRIC SPECIATION case study. Two host races shifting from hawthorn to apple since the 1860s.
Black Soldier Fly
Larvae are the foundation of MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR global insect-protein industry. Bioconverts waste into feed.
Common Eastern Bumblebee
Most widespread NA native bumblebee. Foundation of NA commercial bumblebee pollination. BUZZ pollinator.
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
Largest grasshopper in southeastern US. Flightless. Foam-producing chemical defense. Mass nymph processions.
Zebra Longwing Butterfly
Florida state butterfly. Eats pollen. Communal roosting. Males mate with females during pupal emergence.
Common Flesh Fly
Doesn't lay eggs — gives birth to LIVE LARVAE directly. Beats blow flies to fresh carcasses.
Stalk-Eyed Fly
Eyes on the ends of long lateral stalks. Males face off and compare eye-stalk length to settle disputes.
Common Backswimmer
Only insect that swims UPSIDE DOWN. Bite hurts like a bee sting. Eats mosquito larvae and tadpoles.
Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee)
The 'killer bee.' Hybrid escaped Brazil in 1957. 1,000+ human deaths. Pursues victims hundreds of meters.
Mormon Cricket
Wingless katydid that marches in millions across western US rangeland. Saved Utah crops in 1848 by seagulls.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Most pesticide-resistant insect on Earth. Resistant to 56+ different insecticides. Devastates potato crops globally.
Yucca Moth
Sole pollinator of yucca. Actively packs pollen into the flower like a tiny farmer. Obligate mutualism.
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Vector of yellow fever, dengue, Zika, chikungunya. Day biter. Breeds in a bottle cap of water.
Book Scorpion (Pseudoscorpion)
Tiny scorpion-cousin in your bookshelf. Eats booklice and dust mites. Hitchhikes on flies.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of Pierce's disease — wiped out California vineyards. Has gear teeth in her legs to jump.
Portia Spider
Smartest invertebrate on Earth. Hunts spiders using deception, detours, and multi-step planning.
Stingless Bee
Has no sting. Maya kept her in hollow logs for 1,000 years. Honey is medicine in three civilizations.
Eciton Army Ant
Builds bridges out of itself. Raids 200,000 strong. Comes with its own bird entourage.
Leafcutter Ant
Run the world’s oldest farms. Domesticated a fungus 50 million years ago. Excellent at chemistry.
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Deadliest animal in human history. Has killed more people than every war combined.
African Mound-Building Termite
Builds 9-meter air-conditioned towers. Farms fungus inside. Queen lays 30,000 eggs a day for 50 years.
Asian Honey Bee
The bee that cooks giant hornets alive. Tolerates varroa. Speaks waggle-dance with a Japanese accent.
Black-Legged (Deer) Tick
Cements herself to your skin for 3 days. Carries Lyme disease. Range expanding north 50 km a decade.
European Mantispid
European mantis-mimic LACEWING. Larvae burrow into SPIDER EGG SACS and eat the developing spiderlings.
Drugstore Beetle
Most polyphagous stored-product pest. Eats DRUGS — strychnine, belladonna, other plant alkaloids without harm.
Indianmeal Moth
Most damaging stored-product moth worldwide. Diagnostic SILK WEBBING in infested pantry foods.
Bullhorn Acacia Ant
Foundational PLANT-ANT MUTUALISM. Lives in hollow thorns of acacia. Aggressively defends tree from herbivores.
West Indian Drywood Termite
Most damaging drywood termite worldwide. Reason for the dramatic WHOLE-HOUSE FUMIGATION TENT.
Pacific Dampwood Termite
LARGEST termite in North America. Pacific Northwest. Ancient lineage with pseudergate worker biology.
Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
Major invasive Caribbean pest. Attacks 200+ plant species. Foundational classical biocontrol case study.
Cotton Stainer
Bright red-and-yellow cotton pest. STAINS cotton fibers yellow-and-red — major southeastern US cotton damage.
Tawny Mole Cricket
Major invasive turfgrass pest of southeastern US. Foundational classical biological control case study.
Pink Bollworm
Major historical cotton pest. Successfully ERADICATED from US in 2018 — flagship Bt+SIT eradication program.
Wheat Stem Sawfly
Major NA spring wheat pest. Larva chews stem from inside, causing wheat to LODGE before harvest.
Rice Weevil
Major stored-grain pest worldwide. Larvae develop INSIDE individual rice/wheat/corn kernels. 10-25% storage losses.
Locust Borer
Striking YELLOW-AND-BLACK wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. Major pest of NA black locust trees.
Plum Curculio
Major NA peach and apple pest. Diagnostic CRESCENT-SHAPED CUT on developing fruits.
Corn Earworm
Major NA crop pest. Same species as cotton bollworm and tomato fruitworm. Foundational target of Bt corn.
Tomato Hornworm (Five-spotted Hawkmoth)
Major NA garden pest. Big green caterpillar with BLACK HORN. Adult is gray sphinx with FIVE yellow spot pairs.
Forest Tent Caterpillar
Despite the name, builds silk MATS on tree trunks (not tents). 10-12 year cyclic outbreaks defoliate NA forests.
Buffalo Treehopper
Bright green treehopper with a dramatic TRIANGULAR HORN that makes it look like a miniature bison.
Hessian Fly
Major wheat pest. Brought to NA in 1776 by Hessian mercenaries. Foundational gene-for-gene coevolution model.
Jerusalem Cricket (Potato Bug)
Looks like a 7 cm cricket with a HUMAN-LIKE BULGING head. The 'potato bug' / 'child of the earth'.
Giant Swallowtail
LARGEST butterfly in North America. Caterpillar = the 'orange dog' citrus pest that mimics BIRD DROPPINGS.
Viceroy Butterfly
Famous monarch mimic. For 100 years taught as Batesian (palatable) — 1991 proved her ALSO toxic.
Australian Tiger Beetle
Fastest insect on Earth at ground speed. Runs SO FAST her vision blurs and she goes temporarily BLIND.
Lantern Bug
Carries a hollow snout projection. Maria Sibylla Merian's 1701 'glowing lantern' myth still persists.
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Globally invasive via the used-tire trade. Vectors dengue, Zika, chikungunya into temperate climates.
American Burying Beetle
Buries dead mice. Both parents care for the brood. Endangered species recovery success.
European Mantis
The original 'praying mantis' — Linnaeus named her for the prayer-like raptorial pose in 1758.
Water Scorpion
True bug that mimics a scorpion. Long tail is a snorkel. Hunts tadpoles with raptorial front legs.
Cuckoo Bee
Lays eggs in other bees' nests. Larvae kill the host larva and eat her food. 15% of all bee species do this.
Boll Weevil
Devastated US cotton — $22 billion in damage. Has a statue in Alabama. ERADICATED from the US in 2010.
Anopheles Mosquito (Malaria Vector)
Sole vector of human malaria. Kills 600,000 a year. Most deadly animal on Earth, by impact.
Black Fly (Buffalo Gnat)
Bites livestock and humans in clouds. African subgroup vectors river blindness. Public-health success story.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Asian invader. Has killed 130,000+ US trees since 1996. Glossy black with white spots and impossibly long antennae.
Globe Skimmer Dragonfly
Longest insect migration on Earth — 18,000 km. Crosses the Indian Ocean. Truly global panmictic species.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Largest butterfly on Earth. 28 cm wingspan. Discovered by a collector who shot her with a shotgun.
Ant-Mimicking Spider
Spider that walks, smells, and waves antennae like an ant. Some species hunt the ants she mimics.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Cuts perfectly round leaf discs and rolls them into cigar-cells. Backbone of US alfalfa seed industry.
Chigger (Harvest Mite)
Larva liquefies your skin and drinks it through a tube. The 'burrow into the skin' myth is false.
Devil's Flower Mantis
Africa's largest mantis. Most spectacular threat display in the insect world. Crimson and electric blue.
Formosan Subterranean Termite
Super-termite. 10 million workers per colony. Carton nests the size of an oven.
Silverfish
400 million years old. Predates wings. Lives 8 years. Mates by floor-deposited sperm packet.
Springtail
100,000 per square meter of soil. Catapults itself with a spring-loaded tail. Survives -60°C.
Tailless Whip Scorpion
Looks terrifying. Completely harmless. 60 cm of antenna-leg sensors. Featured in Harry Potter.
Bombardier Beetle
Sprays boiling caustic chemicals from a rotating turret. 500 pulses per second.
Globe Skimmer Dragonfly
Longest insect migration on Earth (18,000 km). 95% kill rate. 360-degree vision.
American Burying Beetle
Both parents stay home. Bury a mouse together. Feed the kids by mouth.
European Mole Cricket
Builds an underground trumpet. Sings through it. Calls audible 600 meters away.
American Cockroach
Runs 530 km/h scaled to human size. Survives a week without its head. NASA studies it.
Eastern Dobsonfly
Male carries 4 cm mandibles too long to bite. Larva ('hellgrammite') is a 3-year underwater predator.
Kissing Bug
Bites your face at night. Defecates on the wound. Carries Chagas disease — kills 12,000 a year.
Common Asparagus Beetle
Major asparagus pest. Brilliant METALLIC BLUE-BLACK with red-bordered cream square spots. Larvae use FECAL SHIELDS.
Long-Horned Bee
Solitary bee with ANTENNAE LONGER THAN HER OWN BODY. Major legume crop pollinator. Honey bee alternative.
Western Tent Caterpillar
Western NA tent caterpillar. Builds white silk tents in branch crotches. Cyclic outbreaks in chaparral.
Patent Leather Beetle (Bess Beetle)
EUSOCIAL-LIKE beetle. Adults and larvae live in family groups inside decaying logs. 14+ stridulation calls.
Greenhouse Whitefly
Most damaging pest of GREENHOUSE production worldwide. First-ever commercially mass-reared biocontrol target.
Bat Fly
EXCLUSIVE bat parasite. Lives entire adult life on bat bodies. Spider-like flightless flies.
European Pine Sawfly
Major European pine forest pest. Larvae perform synchronous 'whip' defensive displays with toxic resin droplets.
Scarlet Lily Beetle
Brilliant SCARLET-RED beetle. Larvae cover themselves in their own FECAL EXCREMENT for defense.
European Corn Borer
Major NA corn pest. Primary target of Bt corn alongside corn earworm. Bt deployment dramatically reduced populations.
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Bumblebee-sized solitary bee. Excavates nest tunnels in wooden buildings. Males hover-and-dive but cannot sting.
Yellow-Faced Bumblebee
Most widespread western NA native bumblebee. Diagnostic BRIGHT YELLOW FACE PATCH. Pacific NW commercial pollinator.
Black Witch Moth
Largest moth in North America. 24 cm wingspan. 'Mariposa de la muerte' in Latin American folklore.
Dragonhunter
Largest clubtail in NA. Hunts and eats other DRAGONFLIES. Apex predator of NA freshwater systems.
Bold Jumping Spider
Most familiar US jumping spider. Iridescent green-blue chelicerae. Recent research shows she DREAMS.
Pipevine Swallowtail
TOXIC. Model for at least 5 mimic butterfly species. Caterpillars sequester pipevine alkaloids.
Six-Spot Burnet Moth
Day-flying moth that contains REAL cyanide. Bird predators learn quickly. Bright red-and-black warning.
Madagascan Comet Moth
Longest moth wing tails on Earth — 15 cm. Bat sonar deflector. Lives 4-5 days. Endemic to Madagascar.
Common Green Darner
Largest North American dragonfly (8 cm). Multi-generational 1,500+ km migration. Apple-green thorax.
Western Corn Rootworm
The 'billion-dollar bug.' Resistant to every insecticide AND to Bt corn traits. Invading Europe.
Blue Bottle Fly
Forensic entomology centerpiece. Larvae used as medical maggot therapy. Vomits to digest food.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Builds silken tent nests in spring cherry trees. Causes Kentucky horse abortion epidemics.
White-Marked Tussock Moth
Bright yellow caterpillar with white tufts and black horns. Bristles cause stinging dermatitis. Female is flightless.
Acacia Ant
Lives inside hollow acacia thorns, drinks Beltian-body sap, attacks anything that touches the tree.
Bald-Faced Hornet
Builds basketball-sized paper nests in trees. Sprays venom at your eyes. Not actually a hornet.
Wandering Violin Mantis
Body shaped like a stick, leg lobes shaped like leaves. Endemic to South Asian dry forest.
Snow Flea
Tiny springtail active on snow. Antifreeze protein keeps her alive at -20°C. Used in medical cryopreservation.
Painted Lady Butterfly
Most cosmopolitan butterfly. Multi-generational 14,000 km migration across continents. Billion-strong year.
Robber Fly
Aerial ambush predator. Takes bees, wasps, even hummingbirds. Paralyzes prey midair.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula
Brilliant cobalt-blue iridescent. Endemic to one 100 km² Indian forest. Critically Endangered.
Woolly Bear (Isabella Tiger Moth)
The folklore weather caterpillar. Survives -90°C using natural antifreeze. Arctic cousin needs 7 years to grow up.
Spitting Spider
Spits sticky-and-venomous silk-glue at prey from 1 cm away. Fires in 1.4 milliseconds.
Common Bed Bug
Survives a year without feeding. Has been with humans for 3,500 years. Wants nothing to do with you — except your blood.
Brown Recluse
America's most-feared bite. Also America's most-misdiagnosed bite.
Diving Bell Spider
Only spider that lives entirely underwater. Builds its own scuba tank out of silk.
Honeypot Ant
Living food jars. Worker ants hang from the ceiling, swollen with nectar. Eaten as candy.
Orchid Mantis
The world's only animal that mimics an entire flower. Bees prefer her to the real flowers.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Largest butterfly on Earth — 28 cm. The first specimen was shot down with a shotgun.
German Cockroach
World's most damaging cockroach. Now resistant to every major pesticide class simultaneously.
Ogre-Faced Spider
Casts a silken net at prey like a fisherman. Sees in starlight. Hears with her legs.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Changes color from white to yellow over weeks. Ambushes bees on flowers. No web.
Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle
Lifts 850× her own weight. The kabutomushi of Japan — kept as a pet, wrestled in arenas, the heart of childhood.
Wheel Bug
Wears half a gear-wheel on her back. Bite hurts worse than most snakes. Liquefies caterpillars.
Striped Cucumber Beetle
Sister pest to spotted cucumber beetle. Yellow-and-black STRIPES instead of spots. Same bacterial wilt vectoring.
Indian Stick Insect
WORLD'S MOST COMMON PET STICK INSECT. Obligate PARTHENOGENESIS — captive populations are essentially all female.
Acrobat Ant
HEART-SHAPED ABDOMEN that workers DRAMATICALLY RAISE over the back like a flag. ~500 species in the genus.
Cabbage Looper
Major NA vegetable pest. LOOPS while walking — body forms a loop and extends forward.
European Red Wood Ant
Massive THATCH-COVERED MOUNDS up to 2m tall. PROTECTED SPECIES across Europe. Major forest pest control.
Eastern Hercules Beetle
Largest beetle in eastern US. Males have dramatic pitchfork-horn morphology. CHANGES COLOR with humidity.
Olive Fruit Fly
Single most important pest of olive production worldwide. Major Mediterranean economic threat.
Carolina Wolf Spider
LARGEST wolf spider in NA. State spider of SC. Mothers carry dozens of spiderlings on her back.
Great Black Wasp
35 mm jet-black solitary wasp. Paralyzes katydids alive. Famous in philosophy of mind ('Sphexishness').
Spinybacked Orb-Weaver
Crab-shell-shaped abdomen with SIX SHARP SPIKES. Bright colors. Web tufts as visual bird warnings.
Large Bee Fly
Fly that mimics a bumblebee. FLICKS her eggs into bee burrows from above. Long hovering proboscis.
Cuckoo Bumblebee
Bumblebee that abandoned workers. Invades host bumblebee nests, kills the queen, takes over the colony.
House Cricket
Most globally significant edible insect. Domesticated for food in 30+ countries. Chirp rate = temperature.
Owl Fly
Dragonfly look-alike that's actually a lacewing relative. Giant owl-eyes. Butterfly-club antennae.
Great Diving Beetle
Hunts tadpoles and small fish underwater. Carries an air bubble under her wings. Larva is a 'water tiger.'
Whirligig Beetle
Eyes split half-above and half-below water. Echolocates using surface ripples. Swims at 1 m/s.
Head Louse
Lives ONLY on human heads. Her cousin the body louse dated the invention of clothing.
Horse Fly
Slices the skin with scissor-mandibles. Eyes glow rainbow-iridescent. Most painful fly bite on Earth.
Eastern Subterranean Termite
$5 BILLION in US damage per year. Built from cockroaches. Mud tubes from soil to your studs.
Six-Spotted Fishing Spider
Walks on water. Catches fish. Dives underwater with an air-bubble respirator.
New Zealand Glow-Worm
Not a worm. Hangs glowing fishing-lines from cave ceilings. Catches insects on glue.
Western Honey Bee
Pollinates a third of your food. Dances in code. Vote on where to live by quorum.
European Praying Mantis
Rotates her head 180°. Sees you in 3D. Sometimes decapitates her partner.
Hercules Moth
Largest wing surface area of any insect alive. 300 cm². Adult lasts a week. No mouth.
Varroa Mite
1.6 mm parasite. Single greatest threat to global honey bees. Costs beekeepers $2B a year.
Mountain Pine Beetle
Killed 18 million hectares of pine forest since 2000. The largest insect-driven forest disaster in history.
Bean Leaf Beetle
Major NA soybean pest. Color-polymorphic — yellow, red, tan, or orange. Vectors BEAN POD MOTTLE VIRUS.
Onion Maggot Fly
Major NA/European onion pest. Larvae detoxify the SULFUR COMPOUNDS that make onions burn human eyes.
Oriental Fruit Moth
Most damaging stone fruit pest worldwide — sister to codling moth, controlled by pheromone mating disruption.
Potter Wasp (Mason Wasp)
Constructs MINIATURE URN-SHAPED MUD POTS — perfect symmetrical pottery vessels for single-caterpillar provisions.
Small Carpenter Bee
TINY shiny METALLIC blue/green carpenter bee. Nests in HOLLOW STEMS. Provides maternal care to developing larvae.
Riffle Beetle
Tiny aquatic beetle that NEVER SURFACES. Breathes underwater through PLASTRON air-layer 'physical gill'.
American Snout
Distinctive 'SNOUT' palps. Massive Texas OUTBREAK MIGRATIONS — sky-blocking butterfly clouds.
Spined Soldier Bug
PREDATORY stink bug. Eats caterpillars and beetle larvae. Commercially reared as biocontrol agent.
Sugarcane Borer
Major sugarcane pest of the Americas. $300M-$1B annual losses. Foundational biocontrol case study.
Long-Tailed Skipper
Brilliant METALLIC GREEN-AND-BROWN skipper with long hindwing TAILS. Migrates from FL/TX/Mexico northward each summer.
Pavement Ant
Common urban ant. Famous for spectacular ANNUAL PAVEMENT WARS — thousands of ants in mass spring combat.
Convergent Lady Beetle
Native NA ladybug. Mass-overwinters in Sierra Nevada aggregations. Most commercially-collected biocontrol agent.
Allegheny Mound Ant
Builds 1-meter dome-shaped solar mounds. Aggressively kills nearby trees with formic acid to maintain sun.
Cluster Fly
Larvae burrow INTO living earthworms. Adults form thousands-strong winter aggregations in attics.
Seven-Spot Ladybird
The original 'ladybird.' Named for Mary's Seven Sorrows. Eats 5,000 aphids per lifetime.
German Yellowjacket
Most cosmopolitan invasive yellowjacket. NZ has 10x more biomass than native pollinators. 5,000-worker colonies.
Birch Sawfly
Most ancient Hymenoptera lineage. 'Saw' ovipositor cuts plant slits for eggs. Larva shoots wax.
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Wings closed — perfect dead leaf with veins and fungal spots. Wings open — brilliant blue-and-orange.
Devil's Coach-Horse Beetle
Raises her tail like a scorpion when threatened. Medieval Europe believed she carried curses.
Acorn Weevil
Female's snout is half her body length — drills through acorn shells. Cause of acorn 'wormholes.'
Silver Y Moth
Migrates billions between North Africa and northern Europe. Ground speed exceeds 100 km/h on tailwinds.
Crab Louse (Pubic Louse)
Crab-shaped louse. Host-jumped from gorillas to early hominins 3-4 million years ago.
Giant Burrowing Cockroach (Rhinoceros Cockroach)
Heaviest cockroach on Earth. 35 grams. Lives in 1m underground burrows. 10+ year lifespan.
Webbing Clothes Moth
Larvae digest keratin — the protein in wool, fur, silk. Adults don't eat. $1B+ in textile damage per year.
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Drills perfect 1.6 cm holes in your deck. Buzz-pollinates tomatoes. The big black bumblebee that isn't.
Ghost Mantis
Mimics a dried leaf so well she disappears in plain sight. Green, brown, gray, ivory phases.
Glasswing Butterfly
Wings you can read through. Anti-reflective coating better than most human glass.
Trap-Jaw Ant
Fastest jaws on Earth — 145 mph. Uses the same jaws to bounce itself out of trouble.
Walking Leaf
Looks exactly like a leaf — veins, bite marks, fungal spots, the gentle sway in the wind, all of it.
Antlion
Larva digs a sand pit. Hides under it. Ant slides in. Jaws close. Adult is a delicate dragonfly. Unrelated to ants.
Eyed Click Beetle
Flips herself off her back with an audible click. 380 g of acceleration. 30 cm of jump.
Jewel Cuckoo Wasp
Living jewel — iridescent blue, green, gold. Sneaks into other wasps' nests. Curls into a ball when caught.
Giraffe Weevil
Male: neck 3× body length. Female: rolls leaves into precision origami tubes for her eggs.
Water Strider
Walks on water. Each leg has millions of waterproof hairs. The marine cousin lives on the open ocean.
Cherry Fruit Fly
Major NA cherry pest. Sister to apple maggot fly. The proverbial 'WORM IN THE CHERRY'.
Cabbage Maggot Fly
Major NA/European cruciferous crop pest. Maggots burrow into cabbage roots. Detoxifies plant glucosinolates.
Black Garden Ant
Most familiar ant in European gardens. Synchronized 'FLYING ANT DAY' mating swarms every summer.
Striped Earwig
Largest NA earwig. Major beneficial predator of crop pests. Females provide GUARDED MATERNAL CARE.
Cotton Aphid
Major cotton and melon pest. Attacks 700+ plant species. Foundational case study in pesticide resistance evolution.
Golden Tortoise Beetle
Tiny GOLD MIRROR beetle. Can DYNAMICALLY CHANGE color from gold to rust-red when threatened.
Big Dipper Firefly
The classic NA backyard firefly. Males perform J-SHAPED upward flash displays at dusk.
Differential Grasshopper
Major NA crop-pest grasshopper. HERRINGBONE-PATTERNED hind legs. Outbreak swarms cause massive crop damage.
Red-Spotted Purple
Mimics toxic pipevine swallowtail. Same species as the white admiral but evolved into a mimic in the south.
Snowberry Clearwing
BUMBLEBEE-mimic clearwing moth. Sister species to the hummingbird-mimic clearwing.
Hummingbird Clearwing
Day-flying hawk moth that looks and behaves so much like a hummingbird that birders misidentify her.
Mediterranean Recluse
Most invasive recluse spider on Earth. Sphingomyelinase D venom causes necrotic skin lesions.
Comma Butterfly
White comma mark on hindwing underside. Ragged wing edges mimic a dead leaf. UK comeback species.
Garden Tiger Moth
Chocolate-brown wings with cream stripes. Orange hindwings flash. Toxic and warning-colored.
Firebug
Bright red-and-black aggregating bug. Discovery of juvenile hormone traces to her in 1966.
Red-Blue Checkered Beetle
Iridescent red-and-blue. Adult pollinator. Larva hitchhikes on bees and eats their brood.
Emperor Dragonfly
Largest dragonfly in Europe. 95% hunting success. Eats prey in flight. Brilliant sky-blue abdomen.
Two-Spotted Spider Mite
0.5 mm. Damages 1,100+ plant species. Genome reveals extreme detox-gene arsenal — resistant to almost every miticide.
Common Ground Beetle
40,000 species of beneficial ground predators. Eats slugs, caterpillars, weed seeds. Iridescent.
Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider
Garden zigzag-web spider. The cultural inspiration for Charlotte's Web. Stabilimentum function still debated.
Brown Widow
Black widow's invasive displacing sister. Spikier egg sac. Bite is milder despite stronger venom drop-for-drop.
White Witch Moth
Largest wingspan of any insect on Earth. 31 cm tip-to-tip. Larva has been seen ONCE.
House Dust Mite
0.3 mm. 10 million in your mattress. Eats your dead skin. Major asthma trigger worldwide.
Atlas Moth
World's largest moth. Wings shaped like snake heads. No mouth, no food, no time.
Buff-Tailed Bumblebee
Flies in cold honey bees can't. Vibrates flowers at 400 Hz to shake out pollen. Pollinates your tomatoes.
Hercules Beetle
Longest beetle on Earth. Lifts 100× its weight. Wing covers shift color with humidity.
Common Pillbug
Not a bug. A land crustacean. Closer to a lobster than to anything in your garden.
California Trapdoor Spider
Lives in a burrow with a hinged camouflaged door. Lived 43 years (longest spider ever).
Carrot Rust Fly
Major NA/European carrot pest. Diagnostic rust-colored tunnels through carrot taproots. Detoxifies Apiaceae furanocoumarins.
Violet Ground Beetle
Brilliant METALLIC VIOLET-PURPLE European ground beetle. 35 mm. Nocturnal predator of slugs, snails, earthworms.
Yellow Meadow Ant
Lives ENTIRELY UNDERGROUND. Workers are BLIND. Farms ROOT APHIDS inside underground galleries.
Festive Tiger Beetle
Color-variable tiger beetle. Different geographic populations display GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, RED, or COPPER elytra.
Giant Asian Mantis
8-10 cm SE Asian mantis. Captures small lizards, snakes, hummingbirds. Popular pet mantis worldwide.
Catalpa Sphinx
Famous 'CATALPA WORM' bait fishing caterpillar. Catalpa trees planted as worm farms across southeastern US.
Dark Fishing Spider
Largest house-invading spider in eastern NA. 9 cm leg span. Looks terrifying but harmless.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Color-changing CHAMELEON spider. Switches between WHITE and YELLOW to match flower color. Walks sideways like a crab.
Salt Marsh Caterpillar
Color-variable wooly bear. Mass autumn migrations across roads and gardens in southeastern US.
Ilia Underwing
Bark-mimic forewings hide BRILLIANT FLASHING hindwings. 250+ NA species. Most-photographed startle-display moths.
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Brilliant orange-and-black wasp-mimicking moth. Tracks the spread of invasive Tree of Heaven across NA.
Northern Walkingstick
Most widespread NA walking stick. Looks indistinguishable from a small twig.
Common True Katydid
The 'KA-TY-DID, KA-TY-DIDN'T' summer night sound. Wings shaped like a green leaf complete with veins.
Spicebush Swallowtail
Black butterfly with iridescent blue-green hindwings. Larva looks like a SNAKE with eyespots.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Most familiar large NA butterfly. State butterfly of 6 US states. Female has YELLOW and BLACK pipevine-mimicking morphs.
Yellow Sac Spider
Most common indoor spider in NA. Cause of most 'spider bite' reports. CHEWS through fuel-system plastic.
Brimstone Butterfly
Sulfur-yellow male probably gave English the word 'butterfly.' Lives up to 12 months. Leaf-shaped wings.
Common Blue Butterfly
Brilliant sky-blue. 75% of her family lives in mutualism with ants. Caterpillar feeds ants honeydew.
Wellington Tree Wētā
Male defends a harem of 1-10 females in a tree gallery. Wrestles rivals with enlarged jaws.
White Plume Moth
Wings divided into feathered plumes. Forms a 'T' silhouette at rest. Family of 1,500 species.
Snake Fly
Insect with a 'snake' neck. Tiny ancient order — 270 million years old. Only in the Northern Hemisphere.
Eastern Eyed Elater
Two giant fake eye-spots on her back. 380g click-launch. Largest click beetle in eastern US.
Asian Needle Ant
Painful sting comparable to a wasp. Anaphylaxis documented. Displacing native ants in eastern US.
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
USDA introduced her as biocontrol — she displaced native ladybeetles, invades homes by the thousands, bites.
Fall Webworm
Drapes branch tips in silken webs in late summer. Native invasive across Europe and Asia since 1940s.
Red Velvet Mite
Crimson velvety mite. Appears in masses after rainstorms. Predator and traditional Indian medicine.
Varied Carpet Beetle
Eats wool and fur like clothes moths. Used by museums to clean every skeleton on display.
Drone Fly
Bee-mimic hoverfly. Larva is the 'rat-tailed maggot' that breathes through a 5x body-length snorkel.
Mourning Cloak
Lives 10-12 months. Flies across snow in winter. Drinks tree sap, not nectar. Solar-warmed wings.
European Earwig
Practices maternal care. Did NOT inspire her name — the ear-burrowing myth is false.
Regal Jumping Spider
Recognizes human faces. Plans ambush routes. Probably dreams.
Common Yellowjacket
Stings you. Stings you again. Stings you a third time. Doesn't die.
Green Lacewing
Larva eats 600 aphids. Mother lays eggs on stilts to keep siblings from eating each other. Sold by the kilo.
European Hornet
Europe's largest social wasp. Hunts at night by lamplight. Less aggressive than her tiny cousins.
Water Boatman
LOUDEST animal on Earth scaled to body size. 99 dB underwater calls. Calls made by rubbing PENIS against abdomen.
Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth (Periwinkle Sphinx)
Large NA migratory hawkmoth. Pink-and-black banded abdomen. 10-15 cm proboscis (longer than body).
Bowl and Doily Weaver
Constructs unique BOWL-AND-DOILY WEB ARCHITECTURE. Spider hangs upside-down between the two structures.
Hanging Thief Robber Fly
Aerial predator that HANGS from a single front leg while consuming prey. Catches bees, wasps, dragonflies in mid-air.
Nursery Web Spider
Males offer FOOD GIFTS to females during mating. Females build NURSERY WEBS for hatching spiderlings.
Carolina Grasshopper
Cryptic at rest. Reveals BLACK-AND-WHITE BUTTERFLY-LIKE WINGS in flight. Crackling 'hand-clap' wing sound.
Promethea Moth
Day-flying male MIMICS the toxic pipevine swallowtail. Females are reddish-brown and nocturnal.
Question Mark Butterfly
Folded wings look like a dead leaf. Tiny white SILVER QUESTION MARK on the underside.
Western Conifer Seed Bug
The flying-leaf bug that invades your house in autumn. Foul defensive odor. LEAF-LIKE expansions on hind legs.
Pill Millipede
Rolls into an armored ball — same trick as pillbugs, but completely independently evolved.
Blue-Tailed Damselfly
Females come in THREE distinct color morphs. Some imitate males to avoid male harassment.
Banded Demoiselle
Damselfly with iridescent dark blue wing band. Water-quality indicator. Elaborate courtship dance.
Peacock Butterfly
Four enormous peacock-eye spots. HISSES when threatened by rubbing wing veins together.
Ten-Lined June Beetle
Largest western US scarab. Squeaks audibly when grabbed. Males have feathered antennae.
Odorous House Ant
Smells like rotten coconut when crushed. Most common indoor ant in North America. Budding colony defeats spray.
Sand Fly
Tiny enough to slip through mosquito netting. Vector of leishmaniasis. Affects 12 million people.
House Fly
Vomits on your food to dissolve it. Carries 100+ pathogens. Sees movement 10x faster than you do.
Blue Orchard Mason Bee
One female pollinates as many fruit blossoms in a day as 100 honey bees. Solitary. Gentle. Builds with mud.
Pharaoh Ant
2 mm. Invades hospitals. Spray her and she SPLITS the colony. Queens by the dozen.