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RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Len — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:54:06 GMT

I have to go with the Centipedes. Years ago a friend of mine had a Blue Centipede don't remember where it was from,but it was big, nasty, aggressive and fast. If I remember correctly it was toxic also.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

ta4beardie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:14:21 GMT

I would definately say praying mantis. Once it had attacked and killed a small bird in my backyard. it was ginormous! I picked it up and it snapped me pretty hard. I still have a small scar.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Reptileherps — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:38:11 GMT

I would have to go with African Honey Bees also

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

amphibian keeper — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:58:50 GMT

interesting.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Varanisblack — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:16:29 GMT

Nakia (6/21/2010)

O.K. I don't study insects, so I'm not sure what category they fall into.Hands down from my experience as the most viscous insect would have to be Fire Ants!

I may add not just anny fire ants but the invasive south american fire ants!

Ants also fall in the wasp catagory since the two are directly related, ants are baisicly wingless wasps. The invasive fire ant has a neet tactic for larger animals as I found out personaly!! They can cover the lower extremitys and all start stinging at one time!! I belive they use pheramons to signal an attack message!? I found this fact out by mowing the lawn in FL when I felt the first sting on my abdomin and almost immediately afterwards both my legs and unmentionables were getting stung at the same time!! Needless to sat I was stripping in my backyard "good thing the closest neighbor was 1/2 mile away!" I had soo many stings I could not count them all. They can be fatal to people with alergies! On top of that they are expert colonisers and have no natural preditors in North America!!

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Nakia — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:39:20 GMT

O.K. I don't study insects, so I'm not sure what category they fall into.Hands down from my experience as the most viscous insect would have to be Fire Ants! Here in Texas they are very plentiful & you don't even notice your near their nest 'til you feel the burning form their stings. They can kill animals if too many get on them & they can't relieve themselves of the "beasts". I know the original post was asking more about viscous habits in feeding, but a lot of creatures feast on their meal while it is alive,so I don't really know which one I'd vote for. I just know the fire ant gets my vote for unprovoked viscous behavior. You don't even have to be near their nest. Just be in the path or close to roaming ants & they will go out of their way to let their presence be known!

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

ReptileChannel Moderator — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:53:54 GMT

Just a little survival training courtesy of RCM...

The way that killer bees kill healthy people (no preexisting health problems and no specific allergies) is that they get into the victims airway and sting internally, causing swelling and suffocation. They also get into peoples ears and sting in there.

It's a good idea to cover your nose, mouth and ears if you are getting attacked. Most healthy people can stand the external attacks, it's these internal ones that can often be fatal.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

A.M herps — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:07:13 GMT

well, I only said hornets because I've had the most experience with them than any other insect. Africanized honey bees are pretty defensive!

By the way, I'm not saying that you always do, but try to stay away from wikipedia. Anyone can post stuff on there, and it's not really a reliable place to get info.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

amphibian keeper — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:22:26 GMT

nope. African honey bees. aka killer bees. if you get to close to their hive, well ouch. they will chase a person or animal for miles. if their target goes under water they will wait for it to surface. they attack in huge swarms, and they will keep stinging even when their target is dead. unlike other bees they don't die when they sting.

go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanized_bee

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

A.M herps — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:09:12 GMT

I think hornets are the most vicious, but what some people believe is very vicious is the sun, and camel spiders. They're not really spiders, but they're realted to both scorpions and spiders. They will often run toward you with great speed. What they're really doing is trying to find a concealed, shaded place. Here's a link to some pics of herping in india which has some pics of sun spiders: http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic107317-4-1.aspx?Highlight=herping+in+india

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

pythonman14 — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:58:59 GMT

have any you have ever seen a centipede eat? talk about merciless lol those little suckers just bite and bite and bite and then maybe a few stings for good measure [ i found this out since i recently got a tiger centipede ]

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

zooherper — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:39:05 GMT

Bullet ants.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Saba — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:10:30 GMT

ouch.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

turtsandtortsrock13 — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:25:10 GMT

I would say a type of hornet. They can sting multiple times which means if 5 stang you 5 times each, you would have 25 stings.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

benandmax — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:49:58 GMT

the killer hornets over in asia. they are roughly 2" in size and have a bad sting and are capable of stinging multiple times. usually their venom is deadly. if not all

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

eublipharis — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:08:42 GMT

a single fly can lay hundreds of eggs that means hundreds of maggots

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:43:40 GMT

a horse? wow.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

eublipharis — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:14:13 GMT

The screw worm

the screw worm is a maggot of which the fly lays the eggs on a live animal's wound. the eggs hatch. the larva then feed on the flesh of the LIVING animal slowly enlarging the wound, infection sets in and usually the animal dies.

a single fly's larva can kill a horse if not treated

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:49:53 GMT

it must have saw what was in the box.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

reptilelover176 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:45:41 GMT

Im going for praying mantis, because one attacked me for no reason when i was carrying a box of crickets...

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:53:13 GMT

yeah... it destroyed my thumb

these are my herps:
male bahaman anole= courtza
female&male green anoles=opal and ash
male albino cornsnake=blazer
female ringed california mountain kingsnake=naiomi

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

RabidReptile — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:30:44 GMT

I caught a praying mantis one time and fed it some grasshoppers. It was kind of gross the way it ate them.

Cave crickets and katydids can bite hard for their size.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:55:13 GMT

I still go with millipeds, but I have gotten snapped at by a praying mantis. it hurts like crazy!

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Sorrak — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:55:48 GMT

I agree with Kats on the praying mantis thing.They are viscious.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

Katschamne — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:58:30 GMT

opal (6/27/2009)

well yes... but spiders are arachnids. not insects

Very true. My vote is praying mantis. We had one in the store last year and it was cool how it eat everything but the legs. The when it's time to mate, I'd hate to be the male. Then a swarm of locust or grass hoppers have a veracious appetite.

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:41:25 GMT

well yes... but spiders are arachnids. not insects

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

beardedragonz — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:23:35 GMT

i think wasps and spiders r....

RE: Most Viscious Insect?

opal — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:08:56 GMT

I think millipedes.

Most Viscious Insect?

UROFAN — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:51:22 GMT

I think centipedes are the most cruel and viscious insects, because they eat the victim while it's still alive.

What are other people's opinions?