What's your least favorite insect?

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I like bugs, just not being bitten or infested by them. I even like the predatory 'pests' like spiders and centipedes who eat any stray bugs in my basement. Thanks bugs. Okay the beetles who were growing in my flour and rice kinda ticked me off though..

 
Anything parasitic, or related pests, including parasitoid animals. Interesting to study I admit, but not from personal misery. So for insects that includes parasitic wasps, bot flies, bed bugs (Cimicidae), any mites (especially chiggers (Trombiculidae) and Sarcoptes scabiei), and so much more.

Not a fan of ticks or mosquitoes either but they are so tame in comparison to the others, even to the common chigger. ;)

My least favorite insect that is by some considered a pet, I guess (I still will get one) would be the assassin bug called a wheel bug (Arilus cristatus). The potential bite has made me leave the dozens of them I've found in the wild alone so far. The extreme and long lasting pain and numbness that can last for days, makes me double think capturing one. I will still have to get one eventually though, I'm really a fan of anything including nearly all the insects on the list so far besides mine. :D

 
CosbyArt said:
My least favorite insect that is by some considered a pet, I guess (I still will get one) would be the assassin bug called a wheel bug (Arilus cristatus). The potential bite has made me leave the dozens of them I've found in the wild alone so far. The extreme and long lasting pain and numbness that can last for days, makes me double think capturing one. I will still have to get one eventually though, I'm really a fan of anything including nearly all the insects on the list so far besides mine. :D
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Have you checked out Psytalla horrida? :p  

 
CosbyArt said:
You have a point. Looking at the ones Peter sells, it seems they do have the added bonus of, "can supposedly shoot venom out of their rostrum (beaklike mouthpart)". Bite wise I'm not sure is worse, and don't want to find out. ;)
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One person claimed that the bite of Platymeris biguttatus (slightly smaller than but similar to P. horrida) is more painful than that of Scolopendra subspinipes. Everyone probably has different sensitivities though.

I have a large colony of P. biguttatus and I have yet to be bitten despite frequent handling when they crawl out of the tank/on my hands during cage maintenance. All assassin bugs I've seen seem to be the same in terms of aggressiveness: they don't bite defensively unless you pinch them.

I have seen the venom spitting thing a couple times. They can aim pretty well, but so far they've only targeted my hands, not my eyes.

 
@Salmonsaladsandwich Indeed that is a strong possibility itself, and where the bite is received versus a previous bite too. So many variables it is hard to say without extensive testing.

Good to know they don't readily bite unless provoked. That is more useful to know than what bite is worse anyway. :) I'd rather know their temperament - as you pointed out a interaction between a pet will happen sooner or later.

Awesome to hear of a firsthand account of the spitting, and glad they didn't aim for your eyes.

 
@Salmonsaladsandwich @CosbyArt

I wonder how painful their bite is.... I imagine much worse than a bee sting but anything you can compare to? I was thinking of getting some horridas but kinda drawn back because of the venom. Beautiful creatures though.

 
@Connor Personally I can't compare their bites as I have not been bitten by assassin bugs; however, the whole bite and pain aspect has too many variables anyway. Bites are often compared to various bees/wasps stings and cat bites (for tarantulas) as most people have experienced those sources of pain; however, in reality there is little to compare it to beyond that.

Pain is also very subjective to the person receiving a bite, where the bite occurred, a persons allergic/body reaction, and how much if any venom was injected (as venom varies between bites of the same specimen even).

Take for instance a yellow-jacket bee sting on a arm. I'd rate the pain a 2, while my sister rates it a 8 (out of the typical 1 to 10 on pain, with 10 being the maximum). For me a 8 would have been the kidney stone I passed, and I actually passed-out for at least 10 minutes afterwards. I've had worse pain though and why I rate that kidney stone an 8 - Others may have never experienced that level of pain, or experienced worse pain, so their rating could be much different than mine. Personally when comparing things I try to rate the experience to make the comparison, and as demonstrated, that can wildly vary between people with the same experience.

I've also received a yellow-jacket sting on my eyelid, and would rate that maybe a 5. So if I would use that as a basis to compare to something else it would be vastly different than the sting on my arm. That is one important aspect of the bite pain of various things, as many people have only one bite/sting experience to compare something to. That single bite/sting is also likely vastly different than the bite/sting that is being compared (where it occurred, level of venom, etc).

My mom is highly allergic to bee stings so she would rate that sting much higher too, as she would trouble breathing (and can go into anaphylactic shock). She has to go the hospital to get treated usually after a bee sting; although, some stings have been mild for her through the years and only resulted in some swelling. So even similar yellow-jacket stings are not the same for her, and is a aspect of her allergic reaction and likely the amount of venom.

Then there are some such as the YouTube user Brave Wilderness that lets things bite him intentionally, see leaf-cutter ant biting for 60 seconds. His other videos show a range of bites and stings from jellyfish, centipedes, scorpions, etc. so obviously his pain tolerance/threshold is much different than most. ;)

 
@CosbyArt Yeah I can see how comparing and such can be quite a bit off and inaccurate.

I actually have been watching Coyote Peterson for a while now, though his more recent videos have seemed a little over dramatic in my opinion. But I still love all the info in each video.

I guess I will be doing some research into how venomous the assasain bugs really are.

Thanks for the help!

 
@Connor I'd say go for them as pets, if you are not allergic to bites and stings, I know I am once I get a chance this year. After all the chances of being bit by a assassin is rather low, and is not life threatening - even if painful. ;)

 
There's no way you're going to get bitten by assassins unless you're really stupid around them. I know I am and I still haven't been bitten!

I'll probably sell some soon.

 
There are a couple of insects that i hate:

  • mosquito's: they keep you from sleeping with their annoying noise when they fly.
  • wasps:  in the summer. when you sitting outside with a nice drink and they are coming to bother you and your drink.
  • ticks: because they are just disgusting. Removed several from my dog.
 
There are plenty of bitting , stinging and spraying insects that are dangerous and/or painful . I still say that mosquitoes are the most widespread , disease carrying and just about the most annoying insect. ........  S

 
I'm tempted to say mosquitoes but I find their natural history and their evolution, if you want to call it that, alongside humans fascinating.  Their connection with so many of the worlds most debilitating diseases  and the triumph over them in many cases is something i can read volumes about.

To answer the question I have to go with bugs I have interactions with.   To say something like the giant Asian hornets because they just creep me out doesn't make much sense to me.  To me, to be a least favorite it has to be more than just creepy to qualify, it has to give me a more specific reason to dislike it.  To that end I would say deer flies because they are so damn pesky, and their bites hurt, and earwigs because dumping a nest of them down your back by accident is ... well it just plain sucks.  Plus they creep me the heck out.

 
I have a list now.

Fire Ants: I live Louisiana for several years. After Hurricane Gustav I was inspecting my plants outside while standing in water A group mas bite. I spend the rest of the day suffering, itching, rashes, swelling and 20 pussicles on my left foot. Now it it is personal. They do not have to bite to a reaction. Fire ants have wiped all other ants damaging the enviroment. They like to build colonies in large clay pots. They like the warmth. I put a clay in water and ant floated for days.

June bugs flying in my bedroom in the dark hitting ceiling landing a thud on me in bed.  It was very warm so little clothing

Jiggers: A speaker that regularly visits Africa explained how his whole family (him, parents and girlfriend) were infected with the parasite in both feet Jigger swell witheggs and need to be cut out hopefully without releasing any eggs.

 

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