MOST HATED INSECTS EVER KNOWN TO MAN

SILVERFISH

Silverfish are some of the oldest creatures on the planet;

their predecessors were the earliest insects, evolving

over 400 million years ago. Contrary to popular opinion,

silverfish do not bite humans and are more of a nuisance

than a danger. The critters feed on starches and sugars

and are often found by the little holes they leave in papers,

clothes and wallpapers. The little buggers are quite

resilient, able to live for up to a year without eating

and known to eat their own moulted exoskeleton.

ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID

Most people haven’t heard of the Asian citrus psyllid but

that doesn’t make it any less of a pest to all we hold dear.

Originating from southern Asia, this insect is one of the

largest causes of citrus diseases and has been wiping

out massive citrus groves across Florida & California.

The past few years has seen the orange industry

alone hit by $4 billion worth of dead trees.

FLEA

A terror for dogs, cats and humans alike, the flea is one of

the most hated insects on Earth. Able to jump like a

carnival performer, fleas can transfer a host of diseases

including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and even tapeworms.

Among the various methods for killing fleas, the bugs can

be submerged in water for a full 24 hours. Any less and the

critters may look dead but can still rise from the dead.

Insect zombies…yikes.

BEE

Scientists have been shocked and unable to figure out

the reason why one of our greatest allies – the bee – is

disappearing. Despite pollinating at least 30% of our crops,

the buzzing of bees and worry about their stingers still

lead us to hate them. Even wasps – the bee’s genetic

ancestor – hate the bugs and often raid hives. (Though

we can agree with the bees that wasps are our real

common enemy.) Despite our modern day feelings, the

ancients were quite fond of bees, and the Aegean’s even

believed bees linked the living world with the afterlife.

ANT

One of the most impressive creatures on the planet, ants

are immensely complex. Despite their small size, there are

believed to be up to 22,000 species of ants which collectively

make up 15-25% of the entire terrestrial animal biomass.

That means that – adding up all the little buggers, sometimes

in colonies of millions of ants – ants can constitute up to

a quarter of the entire animal weight on our planet. With

numbers like those and their tendency to expertly exploit

resources, ants have become a nuisance in many

of our homes.

NO-SEE-UM

So tiny that they can pass through most window screens,

no-see-ums are flies measuring from .04-.16 inches (1-4 mm)

long. Most are known for their bloodlust though some

non-blood-eaters actually help pollinate tropical crops like

cacao. When a no-see-um bites us, we develop an

allergic reaction due to proteins in their saliva.

COCKCHAFER

Probably the least known insect on this list, the cockchafer is

nonetheless one of the most hated insects in history.

Decimating crops since the Middle Ages, the cockchafer has

been widely controlled through the use of pesticides and the

cookpot. (The French cooked them in a chicken soup and

German students ate them coated in sugar.) The pests were

so destructive the court of Avignon even outlawed the hated

insects at a trial in 1320. Though nearly exterminated,

the decrease in pesticide use has led to a massive

cockchafer resurgence as of late.

BEETLE

Beetles aren’t directly a threat to human blood or skin in the

way other insects on this list are, but since they make up

25% of all known life-forms, they can be pretty pesky! Though

some such as ladybugs eat pests, some such as the

well-known boll weevil and mung bean beetle can

decimate crops.

MOTH

If the picture alone hasn’t creeped you out, the hairiness of

most moths probably will. Or how about that there is a moth

known as the Grease moth which feeds on rendered

human fat? If that’s not enough, you might be surprised to

see the Hercules moth flying at you with its 10.6 inch

(27cm) wingspan, the largest surface area of any insect.