Many insects are pretty cute and harmless creatures. For example, butterflies or ladybugs. Others we often try not to notice, until they begin to get in the way under their feet or buzz under the ear. But some insects are able to scare anyone to horror or even cause fatal harm.
These creatures are capable of causing terrible pain to their victims, because their bite is poisonous enough for this. Suffering can last for hours or even weeks. And the bites of certain types are deadly, even for humans. Here is a list of 10 insects that you should never meet!
10. Caterpillar of the genus Lonomy (Lonomia obliqua)
Photo: Centro de Informacoes Toxicologicas de Santa Catarina
This terrible caterpillar lives in South America, and at least a few people die there from its poison each year. As can be seen in the photograph, the body of lonomy is covered with small, sharp bristles, which emit a powerful toxin, whose penetration under the skin of the victim can cause extremely unpleasant consequences. The tiny creature was even called the “killer caterpillar”, and this is essentially just the larva of the moth Lonomia oblique.
The poison of this caterpillar can cause symptoms similar to gangrene throughout the body, provoke brain hemorrhage, and can even lead to death. The strongest anticoagulant (obstruction of blood clotting) properties of the toxin cause large-scale internal bleeding, which ultimately leads to the most disastrous consequences. There are almost 500 confirmed deaths from the injection of the spikes of this caterpillar.
9. Tropical ants of the species Paraponera clavata
The most painful insect bite in the world belongs to this inconspicuous creature. Paraponera clavata or sometimes ant-bullet is also the largest ant in the world with the most poisonous sting. A working ant of this species grows about 2.5 centimeters in length and resembles a wingless wasp. The queen anthill usually reaches the same size. These insects have a thick reddish-brown seta, and they are much more “fluffy” than their other relatives. Dangerous species found in Central and South America.
The bullet ant got its eloquent nickname because it feels like its bite can be compared with a real bullet wound. The poisonous sting causes the victim severe suffering, and this unbearable pain will last almost a day. According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index scale, the bite of an ant bullet corresponds to the fourth (highest) level of pain. This insect is much more insidious not only than the wasps and bees that are familiar to us, but also than the red American ant reaper of the Pogonomyrmex genus, the paper wasps of the subfamily Polistinae and even pompilids (wasps hunting tarantulas).
8. Giant Scolopendra
Photo: Katka Nemcokova
These creatures grow to 35 centimeters in length! Giant skolopendry - probably the largest centipedes in the world. The insect is widespread in South America and in the Caribbean. The body of this creature consists of 21-23 well distinguishable segments of red or brown color, each of which is equipped with its own pair of bright yellow legs.
The giant scolopendra is very aggressive and irritable, and during the battle it clings to the enemy with all its legs. In addition, the eerie insect is also quite poisonous. Scolopendra's toxin is so strong that it can kill most of the small animals it encounters in life. For humans, this poison is often not lethal. However, this does not mean that its toxin will cause you absolutely no harm. Symptoms of poisoning with giant scolopendra usually include severe pain, swelling, chills, fever, and general lethargy. In addition, the effect of poison can be fatal even for a person if he develops individual allergic reactions to this substance.
7. Tsetse fly
Photo: britannica.com
Like mosquitoes, these flies love to drink the blood of mammals. True, the Tsetse fly makes it much more unpleasant for its prey than almost any mosquito. On the insect's proboscis there are tiny teeth, which literally strangle a dead grip into the skin of the beast. These cunning insects are carriers of dangerous diseases, and some of these infections can lead to a disease known as sleeping sickness (or African trypanosomiasis). If the bitten person does not receive timely treatment, he is likely to die.
Among the first symptoms of sleeping sickness are fever, itching, headache and muscle pain. As the sickness develops, the infected person begins to experience extreme fatigue and confusion. This is followed by numbness, poor coordination and sleep disturbance.
There are about 20 or 30 species of Tsetse fly in the world, and most of them live in Africa. The blood-sucking insect usually grows up to 6-16 millimeters in length, and it can be distinguished by elongated proboscis, yellow and brown color of chitin and by the method of folding wings - one on top of another.
Tsetse flies prefer woodland and behave most actively in the morning. Most attacks on humans are made by males. Females usually prefer to stick to larger animals.
6. Human Skin Gadfly Species Dermatobia hominis
Photo: entnemdept.ufl.edu
The gadfly of this species is very similar to a bee, but it has more fine hairs and less coarse bristles. Usually, Dermatobia hominis breeds only attack cattle, deer, and people. Females spread their larvae to simple mosquitoes, other flies and insects, which in turn transmit them to their future host. The eggs react to the heat of the host, and the hatched larvae penetrate the skin of the victim. By the way, these flies are to blame for the extinction of cattle in the tropical regions of Central America.
The larva of the gadfly Dermatobia hominis causes unpleasant skin abscesses. Sometimes during a shower or just touching an infected person can even feel how the larvae move under his skin. Horror!
To get rid of the parasite, you can use a simple surgical procedure under local anesthesia. Sometimes the larva can literally squeeze out from under the skin, if you push it in the right direction. But this should be done only in individual cases. After the uninvited guest is removed, antibiotics are prescribed to the patient, and the wound on the skin, with due attention, is delayed for about a couple of weeks.
5. Killer bee or Africanized bee
Photo: pestworld.org
A killer bee resembles an ordinary honey bee so much that only employees of specialized laboratories can recognize the difference. The poison of an Africanized bee is not stronger than that of an ordinary bee. However, killer bees are distinguished by the fact that representatives of this species are much more aggressive than their relatives and attack the enemy with a numerous swarm, which makes them much more dangerous for humans.
Africanized bees live in small colonies and build absolutely unique beehives even in empty boxes, old cars, tires and in wooden boxes. It is known about the cases when these evil creatures are pursuers of people several hundred meters (0.4 kilometers). This is certainly not worth angry ...
If a swarm of killer bees attacked you, the best thing you can do is to run in zigzags and quickly find shelter from over-excited insects. Never jump into the water to hide from these bees, because they are so just still not lag behind. Insidious creatures will wait until you return to dry land, so you can only wet your clothes, overcool, and even further stretch the pursuit.
4. Dorilins (Dorylus)
Photo: britannica.com
Ants Dorilins gather in colonies, the number of which sometimes reaches up to 22 million individuals! However, these insects are not inclined to build long-term anthills, instead they constantly migrate and find themselves a new nest every day. These creatures kill any other insects that only come their way. That is why they are always on the move and on the road they have practically no problems with provisions. Dangerous species found mainly in African forests.
Dorilins attack anyone who gets in their way, including snakes, birds, mammals and even humans. The main weapon of these ants is their powerful and sharp jaws, and they are also quite smart hunters, because the Dorilins often climb higher on trees and shrubs to get a better look at their prey.
The predatory insect is a fairly large representative of its family and sometimes grows up to 2.5 centimeters in length. These ants bite their prey not so often. Instead of biting, they prefer to tear the prey into pieces with its powerful mandibles (oral devices that perform the function of the jaw). Alone, the dorilin poses almost no danger, but when the Dorylus ants join together in multi-million colonies, they become an invincible army.
3. The giant Asian hornet killer or vespa mandarinia
The giant Asian hornet killer is the world's largest hornet. These insects inhabit East Asia and are most commonly found in the mountains of Japan. Hornets killers are known for their extremely aggressive nature and fearlessness.
Vespa mandarinia feeds its young larvae to the honeybee larvae and, in the process of their harvest, destroys the entire hive of the unfortunate victims. These hornets have very strong and mobile mandibles, which allows them to kill ordinary bees right in their nests. One giant Asian hornet can tear about 40 bees into pieces in just 60 seconds.
The sting of a hornet-killer grows up to 6 millimeters in length, and this is enough to hit a person with quite a dangerous poison. In 2013, over 40 people died from the sting of these hornets, and more than 1,600 local people sought medical help. Repeated attacks of hornets-killers even forced the authorities to mobilize a special medical team with trained personnel who know exactly how to help people who have been stung. Already the fire brigades took up the giant Asian hornets themselves.
2. Caterpillar of the species Megalopyge opercularis
Photo: National Geographic
This fluffy caterpillar looks very unusual and from a distance looks more like a lock of hair. The creation seems cute and directly begs for a touch on its fluffy back, but this is exactly what you should not do. It turns out that Megalopyge opercularis is the most poisonous caterpillar in all of America, and its toxin can cause incredible pain.
The bite of this cute baby can cause throbbing pain, burning, rash, swelling, vomiting, stomach pain, headache and even shock. To get rid of unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to immediately clean the skin from caterpillar hairs (adhesive tape to help), wash the affected area with soap and apply a cold compress.
The fur of the caterpillar looks very soft in appearance, but in reality it is poisonous needles that can penetrate human skin. The caterpillar shape of Megalopyge opercularis resembles a drop, and most often they are yellow, gray or reddish brown.
A dangerous creature is found mainly in Florida, but it has also been observed in the New Jersey and Texas area. If you happen to be in the United States, do not let these cute fluffies deceive you and in no case try to stroke them.
1. Ants of the species Pogonomyrmex maricopa
Photo: chandlerpestcontrol.net
Get to know before you the most poisonous insect in the world! The Pogonomyrmex Maricopa reaper ant toxin contains various amino acids, peptides, proteins, polysaccharides, alkaloids and other substances that together constitute a lethal cocktail. When an ant attacks its prey, it digs into it with its mandibles and stings it until it loses its senses.
The toxin of the ant Pogonomyrmex Maricopa is 12 times stronger than the poison of a honeybee. To kill an ordinary rat this insect is enough to sting her only 12 times. The lethal dose for humans is about 350 such injections. This number may sound like an unrealistic scenario, but if a whole swarm of ants attacks you, the consequences can be truly dire.
When Pogonomyrmex Maricopa strikes its prey, it produces a pheromone that attracts other members of the colony. In response to a chemical signal, they rush to the aid of their brethren to join the attack and finish off the victim. The pain of one such sting on the Schmidt scale mentioned above is equal to the third (a step less than the maximum) level of severity. If you are stung by such an ant, unbearable pain will last an average of 4 to 6 hours. For most of their lives, representatives of the Pogonomyrmex Maricopa species live in the dry desert areas of the US state of Arizona.
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The most dangerous insects in the world
The fire ant hardly reaches 5 mm, but the bite of such a baby is comparable to the touch of a flame. The impression of the bite in combination with the orange-brown color of the insect and assigned him the appropriate name. The fire ant eats everything that comes across from caterpillars and fledgling chicks to the insides of traffic lights and air conditioners, whose uninterrupted work it permanently spoils.
Top most dangerous insects continue to mites, whose family is numerous and diverse. The most terrible for a human species of this insect is encephalitis tick. His bite is absolutely painless, as during the bite he injects an anesthetic drug - his saliva. Within 2-4 weeks, the person feels aching in the bones and fever, and at the end of the incubation period, serious disorders of the central nervous system, paralysis and even death are possible.
Androctonus is the most poisonous scorpion in the world. Loves arid and semi-arid places, reaches 10 centimeters in length. The poison that enters the blood, has a neuro-toxin.
Lonomy is a species of butterflies living in South America and part-time the most dangerous insects. Being in the caterpillar stage, they are extremely poisonous. Their bite causes tissue bleeding, kidney failure and death. The biggest danger lies in their ability to disguise. Finding a caterpillar among the foliage is very difficult.
The tiger bee is so large in size that one of its subspecies in Japan was called the sparrow-bee. A very aggressive insect with everything in stock to do harm. The huge sting, reaching a size of up to 6 mm and a potent poison that eats away the flesh, makes it a formidable opponent, thanks to which up to 70 people die a year.
The kissing bug, in spite of its romantic name, takes about 50,000 human lives a year, at best, becomes the cause of Chagas disease. The bite site gradually swells, and the poison spreads through the body, penetrating the intestines and the heart.
Army ant got its name due to the huge number of individuals that can live in one colony. They are very friendly, organized, blind and aggressive, so they easily attack the huge, compared with them, victims. For example, a colony of army ants can handle a horse. Man scared to get caught in the way of these insects.
The gadfly was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as an insect that flies the fastest, and its larvae, the maggots, parasitize in the body of mammals, which include humans. Maggots move through the body, gnawing the moves in the flesh, due to which they live.
Tsetse fly is different from the usual harmless insects. She folds her wings one upon another, in the center of her wing a segment in the form of an ax is clearly distinguished, and her proboscis is directed forward and forks from below. The greatest danger to humans is not the insect itself, but the diseases it suffers. Every year they take the lives of up to 200,000 people.
The top 10 most dangerous insects are headed by an anopheles mosquito, which carries the same-name disease. Having bitten one patient with malaria, the insect infects a mass of healthy people who kill up to 3,000,000 people.
1. Malaria mosquito - anopheles
These representatives of the genus Diptera are carriers of malaria plasmodia, parasitic in humans and causing malaria. Mosquito is most active at temperatures above 10 degrees and after sunset, but only females bite! The mosquito itself becomes infected from an infected person or carrier and flies to spread the infection further, biting new victims. In his body, malaria Plasmodium takes 4–10 days to complete the full cycle of puberty and reproduction, after which the mosquito turns into a source of infection that is active for 16–45 days! Every year more than 500 million people become ill with malaria, and 3 million cases end in death. Especially many deaths in Africa, where the low level of medicine and there are no programs to combat malaria.
2. Hairy Caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) or Moth Coquette
If you look at this beautiful fluffy creation of nature, it would never occur to you that this cartoon-looking insect is so poisonous and dangerous! It can be assumed that it is the hairs that poison the person, but it turns out that the caterpillar has numerous spikes hidden in the “fur” through which the poison is released. These spikes break easily, so after contact with the skin they remain inside it. Яд Моли-кокетки вызывает сильное жжение в районе пораженного места, рвоту, головную боль, пронизывающие боли в животе и сильное головокружение. Лимфатические узлы поражаются, и может произойти остановка дыхания.
3. «Целующийся жук»
Вот так сюрприз – умереть от поцелуя! Этот «любвеобильный» обитатель Африки, Австралии, Америки и Азии живет рядом с человеком и является переносчиком смертельной инфекции – Trypanosoma cruzi. В ночное время суток его притягивает тепло человеческого тела и выдыхаемый углекислый газ. He gets to the victim and "kisses" a deadly bite. The place of the "kiss" swells, and the infection spreads to the heart and stomach - and this leads to death! Every year at least fifty thousand people are killed by this beetle.
4. Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria)
This poisonous inhabitant of the American tropics of the Southern and Central parts hit the Guinness Book of Records in 2010 and received an honorable knowledge - the most poisonous spider in the world. The most powerful neurotoxin was found in the composition of the "wanderer's poison", which, after a bite, causes loss of muscle control and impaired respiratory function. A person is simply paralyzed, and he dies from suffocation. The bite is not too painful, but the poison immediately causes infection of the lymphatic system. If the poison got into the blood, then 85% of the person’s heart fails. A person afflicted with poison has a severe numbness, and men may have priapism. There is an antidote, giving a small chance of survival of the victim of the spider, since the effect of the poison is very powerful.
5. Gadfly (Magendassel)
Many varieties of gadfly can safely give the title of the main parasite - these are the real eaters of mammals, including the human. The most dangerous and terrible stage for a person is a maggot, because it is in this form that the parasite settles in the body and feeds on it. But that's not all - they travel around the body, gnawing at the paths in their path, and at the same time actively gaining weight.
6. Tsetse fly (Glossina)
The inhabitant of African subtropics dug her long trunk into the flesh of mammals and sucks blood from them. The tsetse fly is a carrier of sleeping sickness, which results in the disruption of the endocrine system and cardiac muscle. After some time, there is a clouding of consciousness and malfunction of the nervous system, and strong activity comes to replace strong fatigue - soon the person dies. In economically undeveloped Uganda, about 200 thousand people have died from sleeping sickness since 2008!
7. Butterfly / caterpillar Lonomia (Lonomia Obliqua)
When she is in the caterpillar stage, she becomes a dangerous beauty. Residents call her a “lazy clown,” but you don’t need to delude yourself with such lovely nicknames - the poison of Lonomy can cause a total failure of the kidneys! Touching this creature can trigger the destruction of red blood cells and cause bleeding of tissues. But if you "managed to" touch a few "beauties", then you risk getting an instant hemorrhage in the brain - a stroke! The danger is this: they are perfectly masked, and in the foliage they are quite difficult to detect.
8. Army ant
The name comes from a huge number of individuals living in the same colony - they are friendly creatures with powerful jaws and excellent organization (just like in the army) are incredibly aggressive. Despite their blindness, they easily attack huge sacrifices. For example: a colony of army ants can deal with a horse. Man better not stand in the way of these blind monsters.
9. Black Widow and Karakurt (Steppe Widow)
Many people know that the female was called "Black Widow" because she eats the male immediately after mating. But there is one more “bonus” from a nice lady - poison, dangerous for human health. There have been several deaths after her bite, but there is still an antidote!
How much disgust any kind of spider can cause. In the southern territories (in Russia - this is the steppes of the Astrakhan region) lives a poisonous karakurt spider, the bites of which can kill a camel, a horse and a man. The male is absolutely harmless, and only the female is dangerous, which without a reason never attacks. If she senses danger, then she can attack — her venom is inferior in strength, only to the “black widow.” But the difference lies in the fact that the poison of karakurt keeps in the blood for a longer time - you better not to disturb the karakurt in June and July, when they are most active. Their poison is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. The bite causes a sharp pain, and after 30 minutes the poison spreads throughout the body, a person may have delirium, clouding of consciousness, but in time provided medical assistance will save from death.
10. Africanized killer bee (Apis mellifera scutellata)
It seems to be such a pretty name, but this little bee is incredibly aggressive and can attack its victim several times. The second name of these creatures - killer bees! Their behavior is invasive, and the swarm is capable of killing animals and people. The accumulation of individuals of this species attacks a swarm of an ordinary honey-bearing fellow, and a uterus is implanted there, for which they are ready to exterminate anyone. The greatest danger is the large number of bee colonies - about a hundred thousand individuals, capable of attacking a whole cloud. By property, the poison is similar to a snake, and if one bee bit, then you need not worry. But if a swarm attacked, it is a 100% danger that can lead to death due to severe allergies. An Africanized bee can stalk a person or an animal to a distance of half a kilometer or more. Bred by crossing an African and South American bee. The new species is distinguished by its size, aggressiveness and high physical strength, which gives Africanized bees high resistance to various climatic conditions of the environment, high productivity of honey and excellent viability. In South America, this hybrid almost completely supplanted the South African bees and confidently occupies new territories in North America.
1. Anopheles or anopheles mosquito
These insects, belonging to the genus Diptera, can transmit malaria plasmodia, which are parasitic in the human body, causing malaria in it. This mosquito is most active after sunset and at a temperature of more than 10 degrees. Only females are bloodthirsty, who, biting infected people, infect themselves and carry the infection to the following victims. For 4-10 days spent in the body of a mosquito, the malarial Plasmodium has time to mature and multiply, and the mosquito itself becomes an active source of infection for 16-45 days. Every year more than 500 million people suffer from malaria, and for 3 million of them, meeting with a mosquito becomes fatal. The highest mortality from malaria is observed in Africa, which is aggravated by the pitiful condition of local medicine.
2. Red fire ants
Scientists have attributed the red fire ants to the most dangerous and aggressive species of biting insects. Their color is tan and the feeling of being bitten by the victim resembles burning with fire, hence the word “fiery” in the title. The size of these ants is small - 2-6 mm. The historical range of these insects was located in the central part of South America, but people accidentally took them to different places of the world, where they entrenched themselves. For a person suffering from allergies, strong poison and a powerful sting of a red fire ant present a serious danger. At the site of the bite a person has a feeling of exposure to an open flame, which over time only increases. The attack should be if the termites feel a threat to their nest. Then the whole group of the ant begins the attack and mercilessly stings the victim. About 30 people die from their bites every year.
Among the slow and seemingly indifferent caterpillars there are also dangerous creatures. The caterpillar of the small moth butterfly of Lonomy lives in the wet forests of South America, and the locals call it the “lazy clown”. This shaggy caterpillar disguises remarkably among greenery, so you can accidentally suffer from contact with it. The caterpillar has a very attractive appearance - bright, beautiful, covered on all sides with long fibers. But they contain the strongest toxin, which is so strong that the affected person very quickly breaks the coagulability of blood, the kidneys fail, a bleeding in the brain and other organs can occur. The erythrocytes of the blood begin to break down, a multiorgan hemorrhage occurs. Outwardly, this is reflected in the appearance of large bruising on the skin.
If a person is managed to “stroke” several such caterpillars at once, then almost certainly he will die - a massive cerebral hemorrhage will quickly begin, which will lead to stroke and death of the victim. Unfortunately, caterpillars of Lonomy often appear in orchards, where Brazilian farmers stumble upon them. As a result, 10-30 people die a year, and many more remain disabled.
4. The giant hornet
Giant hornets live in many places in Asia: in China, India, Nepal, Korea, Japan, and even in our Primorsky Territory, such individuals have been observed. The length of these giants can exceed 5 centimeters, they have very powerful jaws and impressive length (6 mm) sting, with which they easily pierce human skin. Such an aggressive predator attacks for no particular reason, and it is not easy to fight him off without assistance. When attacking, the hornet repeatedly launches the sting, injecting a new batch of poison with each injection. He acts very painfully, while still destroying muscle tissue. One Japanese entomologist, who was attacked by such a hornet, described his bite as the impact of a red-hot nail. Every year, 30-70 people die from the bites of a giant hornet.
5. Army ants
In the world there are a huge number of species of ants, and many of them are very dangerous. These include army ants-soldiers, who are a specialized caste of workers ants and termites. Lack of vision makes them only more dangerous, because they attack everything that has flesh and blood - a fly, an elephant or a man. These fighters move around in colonies, but do not build anthills, so getting caught on their way will not seem to be enough. This species of ants has a large body, reaching 3 centimeters. They are armed with powerful long mandibles that easily reveal the flesh. After making a hole, the ants climb into the wound and continue to destroy the tissue, which gives the victim incredible pain. They were even figuratively called "living death." A colony of such ants would have been able to gnaw an elephant in a week, and there would be plenty of people a day.
6. Africanized killer bee
The main danger of these bees is in their aggressiveness and the desire to seize new territories. If ordinary bees do not attack the hive without threat, then a mixture of African bees with other bees attacks everything that moves side by side. They do this by digging, and the poison of each individual is not weaker than the snake. One such killer bee will not do much harm, but if it is a swarm, then the victim will begin a strong allergic reaction, quickly developing into anaphylactic shock, which often ends in death. It is difficult to distinguish a bee derived by a human from an ordinary honeybee. Their danger lies in the high ability of assimilation to new conditions, therefore, having appeared in Brazil, they gradually spread throughout America, and then headed eastward, destroying other types of bees.
7. Tsetse fly
This African fly also belongs to the most dangerous insects of the world, as it is able to transmit to humans when it is bitten by a pathogen of sleeping sickness. This disease is known for a long time, but the doctors have not found a reliable way to cope with it. As a person develops the disease, significant disturbances in the work of the nervous system occur, drowsiness is observed, consciousness becomes confused. In the most severe cases, coma and subsequent death can occur. According to statistics, about half a million people to the south of the Sahara are already infected with this disease, and most of them will face a painful long death.
8. Ant-bullet
Another dangerous representative of ants from South and Central America, which arranges its nests on the basis of trees, in the crowns of which these ants are engaged in foraging, and if necessary, and diving on the victims. Ants bullets have a very strong toxin (stronger than any bee or wasp). They inject it with a powerful blade up to 3.5 mm long. A terrible pain from a bite, resembling the pain of a gunshot wound, a person experiences during the day, so these insects are also called "ants-24 hours." During this time, a person experiences severe suffering and strong convulsions. A number of Indian tribes living in tropical forests, preserved the rite of initiation of the boys, in which they wear a special gauntlet on their hands for 10 minutes, where there are ants-bullets fixed there. Feelings are about as if a person had put his hand in a pile of hot coals. After that, for some time the initiate covers paralysis, and the bitten limb turns black.
9. Triatom bugs
They have another, more erotic name - kissing bugs, because these creatures, of which there are 130 species, love to bite a person near the lips. They are widely distributed in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Most of these species feed on plant food, but there are also parasites that drink blood from humans and large animals. They are attacking the man, as befits bedbugs, at night when he sleeps, and dig into his lips. Well, it would be so, they can still bestow on him a parasite that causes Chagas disease. From such passionate night kisses, up to 12,000 people die each year. The slightest bite, which the person does not feel, leads to such serious disruptions in the body's work, which cannot be eliminated without the help of medicine.
We are familiar with the usual gadfly, which can painfully bite, but no more. But there is a special kind of human skin gadfly, the danger of which lies in its larvae-parasites. Such gadflies live in South and Central America. The female of such a gadfly lays eggs on the skin of humans or other mammals. The hatched larva gnaws through the skin and moves for two months under it. The person is even able to feel the movement of the larvae under the skin. When the larva fully matures, it leaves the body of the hospitable host, who at the time of parting feels not the most pleasant sensations. The unsightly look and so indelicate behavior of this larva placed it in the line of the most unpleasant insects.
Another representative of the gadfly is the nasopharyngeal gadfly, which is one of the largest flies. But it is most dangerous for sheep. Females of this gadfly at a time inject up to 40 larvae into the nasopharynx of a poor sheep. Then those six months feed on the host’s surrounding tissues, causing sheep ovterosis in him.
