An insect that cannot be killed with your hands. Kazakhstanis are being scared by a scary killer bug via WhatsApp. Triatomine bugs, or "kissing bugs"

There are a huge variety of insects in nature, many of which have very interesting and unusual shapes. A strange and bizarre appearance is necessary for insects mainly for camouflage: to blend into the environment, hide from predators, or use the element of surprise in an attack.

2. Brazilian humpback

These are small insects whose distinctive feature is the most incredible shaped outgrowths located on the back. They can be in the form of horns, ridges, balls, spikes, horns, etc. These “structures” sometimes exceed the size of the humpback itself. Actually, because of them, this insect got its name. Meet the most unpleasant insects on our planet. Brazilian humpback or Bocydium globulare
Evolution made the Brazilian humpback so ugly for a reason. The surreal appearance of the insect scares away predators. Quasi-bumps in the form of antennas, at the end of which there are balls similar to eyes, are actually chitinous layers that protect the humpback from attacks by predators. Yes, these are the harsh realities wildlife. The uglier and scarier you look, the more likely you are to survive.

3. Brazilian humpback No. 2

4. Brazilian humpback No. 3

5. Brazilian humpback No. 4

6. Giant water bugs (lat. Belostomatidae)

We've all heard about bedbugs and how some of them smell terrible, while others feed on human blood, such as the bed bug. This is true. What do you say when you find out that there are bedbugs up to 15 centimeters in length living in the world? True, they won’t climb into your bed, but while swimming in the pond they may accidentally bite you. It's about about giant water bugs.

7. Devil's Flower Mantis

Being one of the largest species of praying mantis, the devil's flower is also the strangest. That says a lot when it comes to praying mantises. Females of this species reach a length of up to 13 cm centimeters, and in the process of evolution they acquired a different set of natural flowers, which allows them to imitate a type of orchid called the “devil's flower”.

8. Scorpion fly

Although this insect looks more like the result of a very strange genetic experiment involving a cross between a scorpion and a wasp, the “sting” is actually nothing more than the genitals of a fly.

However, thanks to this feature, the insect looks very strange. These insects can be found all over the world and have lived on earth for a very long time, dating back to the Mesozoic era.

In fact, they are believed to have been the progenitors of most of those living in modern world moths and butterflies.

9. Swimming beetle larva

The larvae of the diving beetle (Dytiscus) are one of the largest predators among the entire population of freshwater bodies.

A rare case of extraintestinal digestion is observed in diving beetle larvae. Having grabbed prey (insect larvae, tadpoles, small fish, etc.) with its mandibles, the larva then plunges them deep into the victim’s body and pours digestive juice through the channels; The liquid formed after digestion of prey tissues is absorbed by the larva into the pharyngeal cavity through channels in the mandibles. After some time, only the outer coverings remain of the victim.

10. Silkworm Calleta

The caterpillars of this butterfly are carriers of a wide color range, as well as very dangerous-looking hair. Most predators prefer to stay away from them. The butterfly lives in the southern part of the USA. It is worth noting that the color of the caterpillar changes depending on age and some factors environment. The caterpillar feeds mainly on Mexican legumes that grow in Mexico City, Texas and Arizona.

11. Phrynes

Phrynes, also known as tailless whip scorpions and whip spiders, are a medium-sized order of flagellated spiders found throughout the tropics. to the globe. Phryns are found in completely different sizes: the length of the leg span ranges from 5 cm to 50 cm. Their appearance is very frightening, but Phryns are completely harmless to humans. They are very shy; when exposed to light, the phrine freezes, but whenever possible it runs away and hides.

12. Suriname lanternfly or crocodile butterfly

A small winged crocodile crawling through trees or sitting on a flower surprises people and alarms predators. Of course, this is not a crocodile, but just a small (up to 9 cm) Suriname lanternfly (Fulgora laternaria). The head of this insect has an unusual shape, resembling the head of a crocodile in profile. On the wings of the lantern there are so-called false eyes. Thus, this lantern has two deterrents in its “arsenal”: if the large head does not frighten the predator, you can always use its “big-eyed” wings.

13. Siafu (Dorylus)

These nomadic ants They mainly live in East and Central Africa, but are also found in tropical Asia. Insects live in colonies that can number up to 20 million individuals, all of them blind. They make their journeys with the help of pheromones. The colony has no permanent place residence, wandering from place to place. While moving to feed the larvae, insects attack all invertebrate animals. Among these ants there are special group- soldiers. They are the ones who can sting, for which they use their hook-shaped jaws, and the size of such individuals reaches 13 mm. Soldiers' jaws are so strong that in some places in Africa they are even used to secure stitches. The wound may remain closed for as long as 4 days. Usually, after a Siafu bite, the consequences are minimal; you don’t even need to call a doctor. It is true that young and elderly people are especially sensitive to the bites of such ants; deaths from complications after contact have been observed. As a result, every year, according to statistics, from 20 to 50 people die from these insects. This is facilitated by their aggressiveness, especially when defending their colony, which a person can accidentally attack.

14. Camel spider (salpuga)

The giant camel spider lives in Egypt and other eastern countries. Despite all the myths and rumors, in reality this insect is only 15 cm in size. In fact, the camel spider is not even a spider, but a salpuga, which is a separate order belonging to the class of arachnids. The salpuga's body consists of an abdomen and cephalothorax with large chelicerae, which produce a specific sound - chirping. The camel spider is also called the Egyptian giant or wind scorpion. Camel spiders are very fast and can run at speeds of 16 km/h. These desert dwellers have strong jaws that measure a third of their body length. For humans, a salpuga bite is not fatal and not very painful. Like other types of spiders, the camel spider also injects digestive juices into the body of the victim. The camel spider became an Internet sensation during the military operations in Iraq. Then the networks began to talk about the special bloodthirstiness of these insects and publish frightening photographs, which created the impression that the salpuga was half the size of an adult.

15. Pink Maple Butterfly (Dryocampa rubicunda)

The Pink Maple Butterfly is known for its vibrant pink and yellow coloration and hairy body.

These butterflies have a small wingspan: 32-44 mm in males and 40-50 mm in females. Males have more active antennae to detect pheromones.

Their caterpillars feed on various types of maple: red maple, silver maple, sugar maple, but adults do not eat at all.

Pink maple butterflies live in eastern regions North America. These are nocturnal insects, they are active in the first third of the night.

16. Caterpillar of the moth Megalopyge Opercularis

Another strange species of insects that look very strange in their “teenage” period. The caterpillar of such a butterfly looks like a piece of felt that someone accidentally dropped. In addition, all the fibers of this caterpillar are extremely poisonous, so it is better not to touch them - it will be very painful. It could all end in a hospital bed.

17. Bodushka buffalo

This insect has a rather strongly flattened body and its appearance resembles nothing more than an ordinary leaf. at the same time, it stands out for its bright color, so that predators generally consider one of the strangest insects not as prey, but rather as an ordinary leaf of a tree. The body can be up to 10 mm long; on its sides there is a pair of rather sharp outgrowths, with the help of which the female of this species lays her offspring. The creature may not look athletic, but in case of danger it can move in very large leaps. In addition, this insect can fly quite well over not very long distances. She has translucent porches for these purposes. This creature is not very good for trees, because it can cause serious harm. She lays her eggs in long slits that she herself makes in the branches. Here is some information about this creature. It doesn’t have any special properties, so I don’t see much point in describing it. It only has an extraordinary appearance, so it is on the list of the strangest insects.

18. Panda Ant

This mutyllid insect is not actually an ant, but a German wasp. Female mutilids do not have wings and resemble giant hairy ants in appearance. They live in Chile, where they received the nickname cow ant and cow killer for their extremely painful and sometimes fatal stings.

The millions of species of insects that live on earth today play a vital role in our planet's ecosystem. Although most of them are safe, some can cause a lot of trouble for a person, and some can be poisonous and even deadly. From common ants and flies to more exotic beetles, here is a list of the 25 most dangerous insects in the world.

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1. Termites

Termites do not pose a direct danger to humans, they play an important role for the environment, moreover, in some cultures they are even eaten. But at the same time, baby termites can cause enormous damage to infrastructure, sometimes making houses completely uninhabitable.

2. Lice

3. Black-legged tick

Each year, the black-legged tick infects thousands of people with Lyme disease, which begins with a rash around the bite that resembles a bull's eye. Early symptoms of this disease include headache and fever. As the disease progresses, the victim begins to suffer from problems with the cardiovascular system. Few people die from these bites, but the effects can last for years after an unpleasant tick encounter.

4. Nomadic ants

The first creature on our list that is dangerous in the literal sense of the word is stray ants, known for their predatory aggression. Unlike other ant species, roving ants do not build their own permanent anthills. Instead, they create colonies that migrate from one place to another. These predators constantly move throughout the day, hunting insects and small vertebrates. In fact, the entire combined colony can kill more than half a million insects and small animals in one day.

5. Wasp

Most wasps pose little direct danger, but certain varieties, such as the German wasp of North America, reach large sizes and can be incredibly aggressive. If they sense danger or notice an invasion of their territory, they can sting repeatedly and very painfully. They will mark their aggressors and in some cases chase them.

6. Black Widow

Although the sting of a female black widow spider can be very dangerous to humans due to the neurotoxins released during the bite, if necessary treatment is provided in time medical care, then the consequences of the bite will be limited to only some pain. Unfortunately, isolated cases of death from a black widow bite still occurred.

7. Hairy Caterpillar Coquette Moth

Megalopyge opercularis moth caterpillars look cute and furry, but don't be fooled by their cartoonish appearance: they are extremely poisonous.

Usually people believe that it is the hairs themselves that sting, but in reality the poison is released through the spines hidden in this “fur”. The spines are extremely brittle and remain in the skin after touching. The poison causes a burning sensation around the affected area, headache, dizziness, vomiting, sharp abdominal pain, damage to the lymph nodes and sometimes respiratory arrest.

8. Cockroaches

The cockroach is known as a carrier of many diseases dangerous to humans. The main danger of living together with cockroaches is that they get into toilets, garbage cans and other places where bacteria accumulate, and as a result, they are their carriers. Cockroaches can cause many diseases: from worms and dysentery to tuberculosis and typhoid. Cockroaches can carry fungi, single-celled organisms, bacteria and viruses. And here's a fun fact - they can live for months without food or water.

10. Bed bugs

A person does not directly feel the bite itself, since the bedbug’s saliva contains an anesthetic substance. If the bug is unable to get to the blood capillary the first time, it can bite a person several times. Severe itching begins at the site of the bug bite, and a blister may also appear. Occasionally, people experience a severe allergic reaction to a bug bite. Fortunately, 70 percent of people experience little to no effects from them.

Bedbugs are household insects and do not belong to the group of vectors infectious diseases, however, in their body they can retain pathogens that transmit infections through the blood for a long time, for example, viral hepatitis B; pathogens of plague, tularemia, and Q-fever can also persist. They cause the greatest harm to people with their bites, depriving a person of normal rest and sleep, which can subsequently negatively affect moral health and performance.

11. Human gadfly

12. Centipede

The centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is an insect also called the flycatcher, which supposedly appeared in the Mediterranean. Although other sources talk about Mexico. The centipede has become very common throughout the world. Although these insects are unattractive to look at, they generally do a useful job as they eat other pests and even spiders. True, with entomophobia (fear of insects) such an argument will not help. People usually kill them because of their unpleasant appearance, although in some southern countries Centipedes are even protected.

The flycatcher is a predator; they inject poison into the prey and then kill it. Flycatchers often settle in apartments without causing damage to food or furniture. They love moisture; centipedes can often be found in basements, under bathtubs, and in toilets. Flycatchers live from 3 to 7 years; newborns have only 4 pairs of legs, increasing them by one with each new molt.

Typically, a bite from such an insect is not alarming to humans, although it may be comparable to a minor bee sting. For some it may even be painful, but usually it is limited to tears. Of course, centipedes are not the insects that are responsible for thousands of deaths, but many of us would be surprised to learn that someone dies from these bites every year. The point is that it is possible allergic reaction to insect venom, but this still happens extremely rarely.

Even though scorpions do not belong to insects, since they belong to the order of arthropods from the class of arachnids, we still included them in this list, especially since black scorpions are the most dangerous species Scorpios. Most of them live in South Africa, and are especially common in desert areas. Black scorpions are distinguished from other species by their thick tails and thin legs. Black scorpions sting by injecting their victim with venom, which can cause pain, paralysis and even death.

Paraponera clavata is a species of large tropical ants from the genus Paraponera Smith and the subfamily Paraponerinae (Formicidae), which have a strong sting. This ant is called a bullet because victims of its bite compare it to being shot from a pistol.

A person bitten by such an ant may feel throbbing and constant pain for 24 hours after the bite. Some local Indian tribes (Satere-Mawe, Maue, Brazil) use these ants in very painful initiation rites for boys. adult life(which leads to temporary paralysis and even blackening of the stung fingers). During the study chemical composition poison, a paralyzing neurotoxin (peptide) called poneratoxin was isolated from it.

Also known as Phoneutria, Brazilian wandering spiders are venomous creatures that live in tropical South America and Central America. In the 2010 Guinness Book of Records, this type of spider was named the most poisonous spider in the world.

The venom of this genus of spiders contains a powerful neurotoxin known as PhTx3. In lethal concentrations, this neurotoxin causes loss of muscle control and breathing problems, leading to paralysis and eventual suffocation. The bite is of average pain, the venom causes immediate infection of the lymphatic system, entering the bloodstream in 85% of cases leads to heart failure. Patients feel wild rigor during life; in men, priapism sometimes occurs. There is an antidote that is used on par with antibiotics, but due to the severity of the damage to the body from the poison, the detoxification procedure is essentially equal to the victim's chance of survival.

African bees (also known as killer bees) are descendants of bees brought from Africa to Brazil in the 1950s in an attempt to improve that country's honey production. Some African queens have begun to interbreed with native European bees. The resulting hybrids moved north and are still found in Southern California.

African bees look the same and in most cases behave similarly to the European bees that currently live in the United States. They can only be detected by DNA analysis. Their stings are also no different from the sting of an ordinary bee. One very important difference between the two varieties is the defensive behavior of African bees, which occurs when defending their nest. In some attacks in South America, African bees have killed livestock and people. This behavior has earned AMPs the nickname “killer bees.”

Additionally, this type of bee is known for behaving like an invader. Swarms of them attack the hives of the common honey bee, invading them and installing their queen. They attack in large colonies and are ready to destroy anyone who encroaches on their queen.

Although not generally perceived as dangerous, fleas transmit numerous diseases between animals and people. Throughout history, they have contributed to the spread of many diseases, such as the bubonic plague.

Fire ants are several related ants from the Solenopsis saevissima species-group of the genus Solenopsis, which have a strong sting and poison, the effect of which is similar to a burn from a flame (hence their name). More commonly, this name refers to the invasive red fire ant, which has spread throughout the world. There are known cases of a person being stung by one ant with serious consequences, anaphylactic shock, even death.

The second spider on our list, the brown recluse, does not release neurotoxins like the black widow. Its bite destroys tissue and can cause damage that can take months to heal.

The bite very often goes unnoticed, but in most cases the sensations are similar to those of a needle prick. Then within 2-8 hours the pain makes itself felt. Further, the situation develops depending on the amount of poison that enters the blood. The venom of the brown recluse spider has a hemolytic effect, which means it causes necrosis and tissue destruction. The bite can be fatal for small children, elderly and sick people.

Siafu (Dorylus) - these nomadic ants mainly live in East and Central Africa, but are also found in tropical Asia. The insects live in colonies that can number up to 20 million individuals, all of them blind. They make their journeys with the help of pheromones. The colony does not have a permanent place of residence, wandering from place to place. While moving to feed the larvae, insects attack all invertebrate animals.

Among such ants there is a special group - soldiers. They are the ones who can sting, for which they use their hook-shaped jaws, and the size of such individuals reaches 13 mm. Soldiers' jaws are so strong that in some places in Africa they are even used to secure stitches. The wound may remain closed for as long as 4 days. Usually, after a Siafu bite, the consequences are minimal; you don’t even need to call a doctor. True, it is believed that young and elderly people are especially sensitive to the bites of such ants, and deaths from complications after contact have been observed. As a result, every year, according to statistics, from 20 to 50 people die from these insects. This is facilitated by their aggressiveness, especially when defending their colony, which a person can accidentally attack.

Many of us have seen bumblebees - they seem quite small, and there is no particular reason to be afraid of them. Now imagine a bumblebee that grew up as if on steroids, or just look at the Asian giant. These hornets are the largest in the world - their length can reach 5 cm, and their wingspan is 7.5 centimeters. The sting length of such insects can be up to 6 mm, but neither a bee nor a wasp can compare with such a bite; bumblebees can also sting repeatedly. Such dangerous insects cannot be found in Europe or the USA, but when traveling around East Asia and the mountains of Japan, you can meet them. To understand the consequences of a bite, it is enough to listen to eyewitnesses. They compare the sensation of a bumblebee sting to a hot nail driven into the leg.

The sting venom has 8 different compounds that cause discomfort by damaging soft tissues and creating an odor that can attract more bumblebees to the victim. People who are allergic to bees can die from a reaction, but there have been cases of death due to the mandorotoxin venom, which can be dangerous if it gets deep enough into the body. It is believed that about 70 people die from such bites every year. It is curious, but the sting is not the main hunting weapon of bumblebees - they crush their enemies with their large jaws.

The tsetse fly lives in tropical and subtropical Africa, having chosen the Kalahari and Sahara deserts. Flies are carriers of trypanosomiasis, which causes sleeping sickness in animals and humans. Tsetse are anatomically very similar to their common relatives - they can be distinguished by the proboscis on the front of the head and the special manner in which the wings are folded. It is the proboscis that allows them to obtain the main food - the blood of wild mammals in Africa. On this continent there are 21 species of such flies, which can reach from 9 to 14 mm in length.

You should not consider flies so harmless to humans, because they actually kill people, doing this quite often. It is believed that in Africa, up to 500 thousand people are infected with sleeping sickness, transmitted by this particular insect. The disease disrupts the activity of the endocrine and cardiac systems. Then gets amazed nervous system, causing confusion and sleep disturbance. Attacks of fatigue give way to hyperactivity.

The last major epidemic was recorded in Uganda in 2008; in general, the disease is on the WHO list of forgotten ones. However, in Uganda alone, 200 thousand people have died from sleeping sickness over the past 6 years. This disease is believed to be largely responsible for the worsening economic situation in Africa. It is curious that flies attack any warm object, even a car, but they do not attack a zebra, considering it just a flash of stripes. Tsetse flies also saved Africa from soil erosion and overgrazing caused by cattle.

Man came up with different methods to combat these insects. In the 1930s, all wild pigs were exterminated on the West Coast, but this only lasted for 20 years. Now they are fighting by shooting wild animals, cutting down bushes and treating male flies with radiation in order to deprive them of the opportunity to reproduce.

Do you know all your neighbors? Sure? Some of them are so small that you simply can’t see them. Insects live in almost every home. This is a fact: even if you don’t see them, this almost always means that the “roommates” are simply hiding very successfully. In some cases, insects in an apartment are absolutely harmless, but some of their species pose a serious danger not only to food and things, but also to the person himself. In general, get acquainted!

For thousands of years, people have sought shelter, starting with the first cave, then building shelters from tree branches and leaves, and making tents from animal skins. Time passed and developed additional tools, humanity began to build houses from strong wood and stone, houses appeared. And always, from the very first home, various insects lived next to a person. Today we see in them uninvited guests, and we prefer to live without them. But if you think about it, they were before us, and they will be after us. For your consideration, here is a list of 15 small creatures with whom you may share your home. They are also called synanthropes (non-domesticated plants and microorganisms whose lifestyle is associated with humans and their homes, for example, cockroaches, house flies, house mice, bed bugs).

15. Spiders

Spiders are probably one of the most common creatures with which we share our homes, and some of these arachnids will appear on this list more than once. There is a great variety of spiders in nature, more than 45,000 different species. Overall, modern spiders have spread throughout the world over the past 200 million years, which is largely responsible for their wide distribution and diversity. The spider does not do anything bad in the house, sometimes it even does good - it catches flies. Our ancestors had a huge number of signs associated with spiders, mostly positive. They say spiders are harbingers of good things to come. But, probably, if you trust signs too much, you will be completely covered in cobwebs.

14. Ground beetles

Just like spiders, beetles are very ancient and well-adapted creatures for survival. There are more than 40,000 species of ground beetles alone in the world, and these insects come to our homes uninvited. The most common is the bread ground beetle. They usually cause damage to crops in fields, but are increasingly found in ordinary apartments. The bread ground beetle crawls into the apartment only if it likes the living conditions. As soon as the insect gets into the house, when darkness falls, it goes to look for food (crumbs, food left on the table, cereals). Ground beetles interfere with sleep, rustle, fall from the ceiling onto the bed or directly onto you. And if they have found food, then the next step will be their reproduction. So, if a ground beetle appears in the house, you need to take immediate action.

13. Crickets

The wise cricket who gave advice to Pinocchio probably looked something different. And ordinary crickets are creepy insects, sometimes of enormous size. A folk sign says that if there is a cricket in the house, then this is a sign of happiness and prosperity. But the people whom this “happiness” visited large quantities, do not share this point vision and are looking for ways to get rid of them. About 2.3 thousand species of these insects are known in the world, of which only about 50 are found in Russia. Most of them live in subtropical and tropical countries. Our most famous species are the field cricket and the house cricket. The house cricket in the southern part of the country lives both in apartments and in nature. In the central and northern regions, he lives only in houses near people, and gives preference to the old warm rooms With high humidity. These insects live and breed well in warm basements flooded with water. Sometimes crickets can spoil food and even things in the apartment, just like moths. Therefore, although popular wisdom advises against offending them, it is better to remove the crickets. Unless, of course, you like the “night concerts” that crickets usually organize.

11. Carpet mite

Scientists have found more than 1,000 different species of house ticks, and all of them cause great harm to humans, and all year round. Any carpet or carpet covering It collects dust perfectly, it accumulates in its villi and even daily cleaning will not give a positive result - dust and mites will still remain there. Ticks, unlike most insects on this list, are very harmful to humans. The ticks themselves are capable of leaving behind their waste products in the form of feces, which contain digestive enzymes that destroy cells human body and can cause severe allergies and asthma. The damage caused by carpet mites is not limited to allergies: conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, atypical dermatitis and others can develop. It's easy to deal with them - throw out all the carpets and upholstered furniture, Once and for all!

10. Dark-winged mosquito

The main harm is that they squeak and interfere with sleep! Thank God, humanity has invented many ways to get rid of mosquitoes. Mosquito nets, repellents and fumigators are a whole industry. Place fresh branches of elderberry, bird cherry, Caucasian chamomile or basil in the rooms, and place a container with tomato seedlings or geranium in a pot under the windows and on the balcony. Mosquitoes do not like the smell of these plants, so they will want to leave your home as soon as possible. According to folk superstitions, these small, disgustingly buzzing bloodsuckers - mosquitoes - are capable of bringing not only absolute harm, but also benefit, predicting the weather and future events. Clouds of mosquitoes mean good weather tomorrow. Painful mosquito bites and a particularly active buzzing of bloodsuckers - foretells imminent bad weather and night rain.

9. Spitting spider

As mentioned earlier, this list will feature more than one species of spider. Spiders of this species catch prey by spraying a liquid onto it, which neutralizes it by solidifying into a toxic and sticky mass upon contact. You can observe the habit of spiders swaying from side to side. They do this to wrap up their prey. Most spiders are only capable of producing silk, but Scytodes spitting spiders are an exception. Together with the silk, they release poison from their mouths, and silk strands soaked in the toxin, falling on the spider’s victim, bind it. These spiders are not dangerous to humans, do not weave large trap webs, and are unremarkable in appearance. But they still have one peculiarity - during the hunt they “spit” their prey. This may sound a little harsh, but it's accurate. This is why they got their name “spits”. Spitting spiders live in both warm tropical and temperate regions, including Russia - in human homes, where it is warm.

8. Clothes moth

Moths inhabit houses and are a household pest, whose caterpillars spoil fabrics by eating them and gnaw the silk upholstery of furniture. Only caterpillars cause damage to products, because adults lack gnawing type mouthparts. In the dark at night, adult moths fly towards an artificial light source. According to some data, house moth caterpillars also feed on substances of plant origin, namely grains of wheat, barley, oats, corn, flour and dry bread. House moths are widespread worldwide; this species of lepidoptera is a serious pest in human homes. They feed on clothing, carpets, blankets and upholstery, as well as fur, wool, feathers and miscellaneous items such as animal bristles used to make toothbrushes and piano fibers.

7. Woodlice

Generally speaking, woodlice are not insects (they are crustaceans), but they lead approximately the same lifestyle as cockroaches. When threatened, they curl up, simulating death.
In most cases, wood lice appear only in those apartments where it is constantly damp, for example, water leaks from pipes. These insects are excellent indicators various breakdowns water supply and depressurization of flanges. The appearance of woodlice in an apartment, first of all, should worry lovers indoor flowers, because if measures are not taken in time and you do not remove them, then the plants will soon die. First of all, these insects harm moisture-loving tropical plants which have a thin and delicate root system(orchid, fern, cactus), hitting it specifically, so if you have just such plants, then you should fight more actively.

5. Ants

IN different time year and in different regions of the country in an apartment, and even more so in a private house, you can often find representatives of various species of ants. Very often, ants in an apartment are random guests, carried on clothes or with things. Among them there are insects of different sizes and colors. However, the only real pest in the apartment is the so-called pharaoh ant - an independent species of heat-loving small ants, which in our latitudes cannot live anywhere other than residential heated premises. These red ants in the apartment are a real problem: they are numerous, spoil food, and can carry pathogens various diseases, and besides, they are removed with great difficulty.
Several dozen queens and up to 350 thousand workers can live in one colony of domestic ants. The reasons why red ants appear in an apartment, although not numerous, can be found in almost any home. That is why small red ants are successfully conquering more and more new areas and are likely to appear in any apartment, even the cleanest one.

4. Serebryanka (common silverfish)

You may have once seen them in the bathroom or toilet if you went there in the middle of the night (they quickly run away when the light is turned on). Those thin, silvery, small things on the floor? Do you remember? They are called silverfish. Like most of the other creatures on this list, silverfish pose no real harm to us and they don't bite. No cases of contact were identified negative influence on human health. They feed on products of plant origin containing starch or polysaccharides; but they may not eat anything for months. Their diet may include sugar, flour, glue, book binding, paper, photographs, starchy fabrics. From storage areas can be brought into the house through purchase toilet paper or cardboard boxes with paper napkins. They are harmless to humans and pets and are not carriers of diseases, but can damage damp paper.
Their scientific name is “common silverfish” (Latin: Lepisma saccharina). It is believed that the silverfish is one of the most ancient living insects - its ancestors lived on Earth more than 300 million years ago, back in the Paleozoic era. Silverfish prefer damp and dark places; if the house is dry and light, then there will be no silverfish there.

3. Cockroaches

The remains of cockroaches are, along with the remains of cockroaches, the most numerous traces of insects in Paleozoic deposits. Additionally, cockroaches are the earliest known Polyneoptera, possibly descending from the ancestor of the entire subcohort. They have always been and will be on Earth. There are more than 4,600 known species of cockroaches; are especially numerous in the tropics and subtropics. In the territory former USSR- 55 types. In recent years, reports have been popular about a decrease in the number of certain species of cockroaches in the CIS (they say they have completely left apartments in St. Petersburg and some other cities - no one was upset, but the reasons are interesting).
A number of cockroaches live in human dwellings, being synanthropes, for example, the red cockroach (Prusak), or the black cockroach. Others are brought with tropical products to temperate countries and sometimes take root in heated rooms (American cockroach). Cockroaches can cause damage food products, leather goods, book bindings, room and greenhouse plants. Some cockroaches, feeding on various waste, including feces, are carriers of infectious diseases (for example, dysentery) and worm eggs.

2. Harvesting spider

Hay-making spiders that build trapping webs are ubiquitous. Hanging upside down on their jumbled, tangled, uneven web. Webs are built in dark, damp niches of caves, trees and under stones, in dens abandoned by mammals, for example, in cellars and various buildings. In human homes, they love dry and warm places near windows. How dangerous are harvest spiders to humans? Suffice it to say that the poison they have, they spend exclusively on their victims, inflicting a paralyzing bite on them. He is not enough for anything more. The main reason for declaring war on arachnids is arachnophobia. Some people cannot even stand them visually; for others, a creature that gets on their body causes panic. The problem is so serious that psychologists are working on it.

1. Flycatcher

The common flycatcher, also known as the house centipede, is often found in private houses and cottages, and is also found in apartments. Because of significant size, repulsive appearance and high speed of movement, this insect, suddenly appearing in the house, often inspires horror in the residents. But the house centipede is a peaceful and completely harmless insect. They usually appear in search of food from the street or from a neighboring apartment. If centipedes can find a constant source of food in the house, then there is a high probability of their appearance in this room. Centipedes are especially often found in private homes, settling in basements, basements and subfloors, from where they go out to hunt, moving around all rooms.

“Be extremely careful and warn children!”, “Death within two hours”... As a respectable mother, I am a member of several parent WhatsApp chats, and every time someone sends a photo of a scary-looking insect with dire warnings. At this point you can’t help but think: maybe all sorts of karakurts, tsetse flies and ticks really have a serious competitor?

Search in World Wide Web provided several dozen links to the required news. All of them are dated last fall. As the unnamed authors claim, the new insect appeared in India and is most likely the product of a scientific experiment that got out of control. And supposedly there are already victims.

“If you ever see this insect, do not try to kill it with your bare hands or even touch it. Upon contact, a person becomes infected with a virus that quickly affects the entire body. This horror was first noticed in India. Share this information with your family and friends. Let children be especially attentive, because they love to pick up all sorts of bugs and insects,” fears one of the news aggregators.

But the search for a photo of an insect unknown to science refers to images of a water bug that has been fully studied by entomologists. As it turned out, the supposed capsules with poison on the back of an unknown animal are carried by young animals, its giant water bug, which actually lives in India, for greater safety.

A person believes in what he wants. The one who has critical thinking And high level intelligence, usually such controversial news is easily verified, but, unfortunately, not all of them. Some people seem to actually enjoy scaring people with such fakes (fakes. - Ed.) others, - comments on the regular distribution of horror stories on social networks Director of the Legal Media Center PF Diana OKREMOVA.

She herself often organizes seminars for young journalists, where she explains in detail how to spot fake news. But it seems that with the development of the Internet, this kind of educational program must be carried out for the entire population.

Any publication must give a specific answer to three questions: what, where, when? With newsletters on social networks, everything is a little more complicated, because the information is compressed into one or two sentences. But there still needs to be some specifics that can be verified, says the media expert.

Diana Okremova advises to be especially careful about publications that begin with the words: “Attention!”, “Very important!” and ending with the words: “Maximum repost.” Often such loud calls serve one purpose: to attract the user’s attention to something insignificant and distract from something important.

The online magazine site continues to publish on the topic of the most dangerous animals in the world. Do you think that large predators, like a bear or a crocodile, pose the greatest danger to humans? Yes, perhaps they kill for food, they kill quite quickly. But our nature has managed to invent creatures that are much more dangerous, and which, moreover, are difficult to see.

If you go on vacation to another exotic country– don’t try to touch the first little animal or insect you come across; perhaps it will cling to your hand with great pleasure.

1. Hornet

Hornets are a great reason to run off into the distance in hysterics. This huge wasp can reach 55 mm in length and has a decent body weight. The insect is armed to the teeth, almost in the literal sense of the word. The hornet's jaws are a powerful argument that leaves no chance for its victims. They calmly cope with the chitinous shells of insects, crushing them into dust.

Like other wasps, hornets have a sting, which they will not fail to use when in danger. The amount of poison injected is quite large due to the size of the insect. The venom of Asian species of hornets, which can attack in a whole swarm, is especially dangerous. Every year, up to 40 people die due to hornet attacks in Japan. Don't try to appear brave in front of others when there are a couple of such creatures circling around you.

2. Killer Bee

Continuing the theme of striped killer insects, it would be tactless not to mention bees, or more precisely one species of them - the Africanized bee, which is also called the “killer bee”.

A hybrid of this insect was bred in 1956 as a result of biological experiments. A Brazilian scientist was trying to get a brood of bees that would take root in Brazil. Everything was going well until, by mistake, in 1957, the queen bees were released. They immediately began to multiply, creating entire swarms of bees.

African bees stood out from their peers with their high aggressiveness and physical strength. The Brazilian hybrid inherited all this, and after just a few years, reports of bee attacks began to appear. Two hundred people have died from the bites of these creatures and thousands suffer every year. Bees attack everything that moves within a radius of 5 meters from the hive, and pursue their prey at a distance of up to a kilometer. Remember, honey is not a toy.

3. Brazilian wandering spider

Despite the fact that many suffer from arachnophobia, there are brave souls who are eager to take the spider in their arms. This spider may be the Brazilian wandering spider - one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, the bite of which can be fatal to humans.

This genus of spiders got its name due to the fact that its representatives do not hunt using webs, and generally do not like to live in one place for a long time. Stray spiders wander in search of food, and often enter residential buildings or garages. Due to their aggressive nature, they do not hesitate to attack a person as soon as they see him next to them, inflicting a bite with huge sharp chelicerae.

The venom of stray spiders is considered one of the most powerful in the world. This neurotoxin causes muscle paralysis, respiratory arrest and heart failure. If an antidote is not administered, a person can die very quickly.

The beauty is that Phoneutria often travels in boxes of bananas around the world, so be careful about the bananas you pick up at the supermarket. You might even get a bite.

4. Brown recluse spider

One of the most dangerous and vile spiders on the planet. Its poison is not only dangerous for humans, it causes loxoscelism, or arachnosis, a type of tissue necrosis. The bite itself may not be noticed; it is quite painless, but after a while ulcers begin to appear on the skin. In advanced cases, the ulcer reaches a diameter of 25 cm, its healing takes months, during which the person suffers from excruciating pain.

It is quite difficult for an untrained person to distinguish spiders from each other, so remember: all spiders are poisonous. If you are not a naturalist traveler or a biologist, avoid these creatures.

5. Sydney funnel web spider

It is impossible not to mention Australia in the list of the most dangerous animals. The fate of the Australians is not to be envied, because the most terrible and dangerous creatures on the planet live on their small continent. Almost everything is dangerous there. Here is the funnel-web spider as proof of this.

One bite from this beast is enough to kill a child. The spider's venom is so strong that a person can die in just 15 minutes, and the ambulance simply physically will not have time to get to the patient.

This type of spider received its name because of the special manner of building its homes from a web in the form of a funnel. It's better not to look into unknown holes when walking through the Australian bush.

6. Bullet Ant

Few would expect such vileness from an ordinary ant, but the bites of this species are painful to such an extent that they are compared to bullet wounds. Ants have a very long stinger for their size - almost 3.5 mm. At the same time, their body contains a large reservoir of poison, which is instantly injected upon a bite. The pain, which brings a person to a semi-fainting state, can last a whole day.

A number of Brazilian tribes have a special initiation rite for boys who are preparing to become men. To do this, they put special wicker mittens on their hands, which are filled with hundreds of bullet ants. Subjects must endure the hellish pain of the bites for about 10 minutes. During this time, the person experiences paralysis, painful shock and fainting. Sensitivity to the limbs does not return for several days. Don't joke with ants.

7. Gadflies

Gadflies are not distinguished from other dangerous insects by their powerful poison or long sting, but they are one of the most dangerous animals. It's all about their habit of laying larvae under the skin of the victim, which can also be a person. The larvae are practically screwed into the flesh, where they develop for several weeks, after which they emerge, causing suffering to their host.

8. Triatomine bugs, or “kissing bugs”

Our nature has come up with many ways to kill us, so, we have already written about, and everything there is very, very creepy.