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The Wild Pest
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Venomous bugs

Every species in the Wild Files corpus where venomous is a defining trait.

29 on file

On File
An Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) on a leaf, showing the distinctive orange-and-black thorax and large mandibles.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs86
Alias
Vespa mandarinia

Asian Giant Hornet

Slaughters whole bee colonies in hours. Wears a sting that breaks down flesh.

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On File
A Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer), brown body with red mouthparts, raised front legs in alert posture.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Phoneutria nigriventer

Brazilian Wandering Spider

World's most venomous spider. Doesn't build webs — wanders. Found in shoes, banana shipments.

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On File
A brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa), pale brown body with the distinctive violin-shaped marking.
Outlaw
Six Legs79
Alias
Loxosceles reclusa

Brown Recluse

America's most-feared bite. Also America's most-misdiagnosed bite.

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On File
A deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) on stony ground, pale-yellow body with slender tail.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Leiurus quinquestriatus

Deathstalker Scorpion

Deadliest scorpion on Earth. Venom: $39M per gallon. Used to light up brain tumors.

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On File
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), reddish-brown body, on disturbed soil.
Outlaw
Six Legs90
Alias
Solenopsis invicta

Red Imported Fire Ant

Builds living rafts during floods. Floats for weeks. Costs the US $6 billion a year.

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On File
An Amazonian giant centipede (Scolopendra gigantea) on a forest floor, segmented dark-red body with bright yellow legs.
Outlaw
Six Legs82
Alias
Scolopendra gigantea

Amazonian Giant Centipede

Largest centipede on Earth. Hangs from cave ceilings to ambush bats mid-flight.

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On File
A goliath birdeater tarantula (Theraphosa blondi) at the entrance to its burrow on a rainforest floor.
Outlaw
Six Legs82
Alias
Theraphosa blondi

Goliath Birdeater

Largest spider on Earth by weight. Defends itself by hissing and flicking itch-bombs.

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On File
A Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus), glossy black body, raised front legs in defensive posture.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs88
Alias
Atrax robustus

Sydney Funnel-Web Spider

Sydney's only deadly spider. Venom kills humans but barely affects dogs. Antivenom has stopped every death since 1981.

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On File
A tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis grossa) on a desert milkweed flower, iridescent blue-black with rust-orange wings.
Outlaw
Six Legs83
Alias
Pepsis grossa

Tarantula Hawk

Hunts tarantulas. Paralyzes them. Lays an egg inside the still-living body.

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On File
A western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) hanging in her web, red hourglass marking visible on the underside.
Outlaw
Six Legs84
Alias
Latrodectus hesperus

Western Black Widow

Red hourglass on a black mirror. Venom 15× rattlesnake by weight. Doesn't always eat the male.

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On File
A common yellowjacket (Vespula vulgaris), yellow-and-black banded body with transparent wings.
Outlaw
Six Legs75
Alias
Vespula vulgaris

Common Yellowjacket

Stings you. Stings you again. Stings you a third time. Doesn't die.

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On File
A female velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis), fuzzy red-and-black wingless body that resembles a large ant.
Outlaw
Six Legs84
Alias
Dasymutilla occidentalis

Velvet Ant ('Cow Killer')

Not an ant. Wingless wasp. Sting painful enough to be called 'cow killer.' Indestructible armor.

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On File
A female northern black widow (Latrodectus variolus), shiny jet-black spider with broken red hourglass marking and row of red-or-yellow spots along the dorsal midline of the abdomen, eight legs, top view.
Outlaw
Six Legs84
Alias
Latrodectus variolus

Northern Black Widow

Eastern NA black widow. 'Broken' RED HOURGLASS marking. Potent neurotoxic venom (alpha-latrotoxin).

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On File
A giant bulldog ant (Myrmecia gulosa), large reddish-brown ant with massive elongated sickle-like mandibles longer than the head and large compound eyes, six legs, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs85
Alias
Myrmecia gulosa

Bulldog Ant

Australia's giant primitive ants. Massive sickle jaws. Sees prey from 1 meter. Most ANCIENT surviving ant lineage.

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On File
An Indian red scorpion (Hottentotta tamulus), small reddish-brown to orange-brown scorpion with relatively thin tail and stinger, eight legs and large pedipalps, top view.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs88
Alias
Hottentotta tamulus

Indian Red Scorpion

World's most lethal scorpion. Pre-treatment childhood mortality 30-40%. Cardiac autonomic storm.

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On File
A Mediterranean recluse spider (Loxosceles rufescens), light tan to brown spider with characteristic dark violin-shaped marking on the carapace, eight legs, dorsal view.
Outlaw
Six Legs77
Alias
Loxosceles rufescens

Mediterranean Recluse

Most invasive recluse spider on Earth. Sphingomyelinase D venom causes necrotic skin lesions.

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On File
A six-spot burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae), iridescent blue-black forewings with six bright red spots and entirely red hindwings, dorsal view.
Curious
Six Legs80
Alias
Zygaena filipendulae

Six-Spot Burnet Moth

Day-flying moth that contains REAL cyanide. Bird predators learn quickly. Bright red-and-black warning.

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On File
An asp caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), oval-shaped pale tan-blonde caterpillar covered in long soft hair-like fur resembling a piece of fur, on a green leaf.
Outlaw
Six Legs85
Alias
Megalopyge opercularis

Asp Caterpillar (Southern Flannel Moth)

Looks like a piece of cotton. Sting reportedly the most painful in North America. Pet your kid.

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On File
A pink-toe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia), black-bodied tarantula with dramatic pink-tipped feet on all eight legs, on a tree branch.
Curious
Six Legs73
Alias
Avicularia avicularia

Pink-Toe Tarantula

Tree-dwelling tarantula with pink feet. Defends by SHOOTING fecal matter up to a meter.

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On File
A Chilean rose hair tarantula (Grammostola rosea), rich brown body covered in fine rosy-pink hairs, eight stocky legs, dorsal view.
Curious
Six Legs71
Alias
Grammostola rosea

Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula

Most popular pet tarantula in the world. Gentle. Goes months without food. Venom yields cardiac drug candidate.

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On File
Pine processionary caterpillars (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) marching in single file head-to-tail along a pine branch.
Outlaw
Six Legs94
Alias
Thaumetopoea pityocampa

Pine Processionary Caterpillar

Marches in head-to-tail processions of hundreds. Bristles cause anaphylaxis. Kills dogs.

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On File
A bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata), large black-bodied wasp with bright white facial markings and white bands on the abdomen.
Outlaw
Six Legs80
Alias
Dolichovespula maculata

Bald-Faced Hornet

Builds basketball-sized paper nests in trees. Sprays venom at your eyes. Not actually a hornet.

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On File
A fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus australis), dust-yellow scorpion with prominent swollen tail and large pincers.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Androctonus australis

Fat-Tailed Scorpion

Latin name means 'man-killer.' Hundreds of deaths per year across North Africa and the Middle East.

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On File
An Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus), small pale tan scorpion with slender pincers and thin curved tail.
Outlaw
Six Legs88
Alias
Centruroides sculpturatus

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Only deadly US scorpion. Glows blue-green under UV light. Lurks under bark and inside shoes.

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On File
A house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata), elongated yellowish-gray body with 15 pairs of extraordinarily long thin legs splayed out from the body.
Beneficial
Six Legs88
Alias
Scutigera coleoptrata

House Centipede

The bathroom centipede everyone has screamed at. Eats cockroaches and bed bugs. Not actually an insect.

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On File
A robber fly (Promachus hinei), elongated brown body with prominent bristly thorax, large compound eyes, and long wings folded back.
Curious
Six Legs80
Alias
Promachus hinei

Robber Fly

Aerial ambush predator. Takes bees, wasps, even hummingbirds. Paralyzes prey midair.

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On File
A Gooty sapphire tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica), brilliant cobalt-blue iridescent body and legs with intricate cream-and-gold geometric pattern.
Curious
Six Legs80
Alias
Poecilotheria metallica

Gooty Sapphire Tarantula

Brilliant cobalt-blue iridescent. Endemic to one 100 km² Indian forest. Critically Endangered.

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On File
A brown widow (Latrodectus geometricus), mottled brown-and-tan female with rounded abdomen showing geometric markings and orange-red hourglass underneath.
Outlaw
Six Legs77
Alias
Latrodectus geometricus

Brown Widow

Black widow's invasive displacing sister. Spikier egg sac. Bite is milder despite stronger venom drop-for-drop.

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On File
A Mexican red-knee tarantula (Brachypelma hamorii), large black tarantula with bright orange-red knee markings on each leg, eight legs spread evenly.
Curious
Six Legs73
Alias
Brachypelma hamorii

Mexican Red-knee Tarantula

The Indiana Jones tarantula. 30-year lifespan. CITES-protected. Gentle and famous.

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