Are any insects poisonous?

They are typically found in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America (as far south as southern Argentina). The map below details triatomine occurrence by U.S. state. Eleven different species of triatomine bugs have been found in the southern United States: Paratriatoma hirsuta.

An African leaf beetle, Diamphidia simplex (Chrysomelidae), exudes a poison that causes death by paralysis. African bushmen use this poison on their arrow tips to kill animals. Many species, including Coccinelidae (lady beetles) and Meloidee (Blister beetles), can secrete poisonous substances to make them unpalatable.

Almost all spiders are venomous; only two small families lack venom glands. A minority of spider species have venom that can cause localized pain in humans, like the venom of bees or wasps. (Bees and wasps are far more dangerous than spiders, however; wasps cause many deaths annually).

There are only two spiders, both rarely found in Iowa that have venom capable of causing illness in humans. The black widow spider venom is a neurotoxin that can cause headache, dizziness, shortness of breath and other systemic symptoms. Death is very rare. The brown recluse spider bite is usually painless.

A widespread myth holds that daddy longlegs, also known as granddaddy longlegs or harvestmen, are the most venomous spiders in the world. We’re only safe from their bite, we are told, because their fangs are too small and weak to break through human skin.

The Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is considered the most venomous snake in the world with a murine LD 50 value of 0.025 mg/kg SC. Ernst and Zug et al. 1996 list a value of 0.01 mg/kg SC, which makes it the most venomous snake in the world in their study too. They have an average venom yield of 44 mg.

While the Goliath birdeater is definitely the world’s largest spider by weight, it is the Giant Huntsman spider that takes the award for being the largest by diameter. The lanky arachnids have a leg span of up to 12-inches (30 centimeters) or as some people describe it “the size of a dinner plate”.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is a large brown spider similar to North American Wolf Spiders, but bigger and possessing a more toxic venom. It has the most neurologically active venom of all spiders, and is regarded as the most dangerous spider in the world.

The goliath birdeater tarantula of South America is arguably the biggest spider in the world. Watch as one hapless mouse wanders into a spider’s deadly trap, and see the unusual adaptations that make the goliath one of nature’s deadliest ambushers. They’re the big, hairy spiders of our nightmares.

The giant huntsman was found in Laos, and most huntsman species are native to Asia. They are also prevalent in Africa, Australia and South America, according to the BBC.

The world’s largest known spider is a male goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi) collected by members of the Pablo San Martin Expedition at Rio Cavro, Venezuela in April 1965. It had a record leg-span of 28 cm (11 in) – sufficient to cover a dinner plate.

Distribution and habitat. The giant huntsman spider is found in Laos, and is probably a cave dweller because of its pale colour, long legs and special hairs on the second foot of the male. There is no apparent reduction of the eyes, possibly because the species lives near cave entrances.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, phobias affect more than one in ten people in the US, and of those individuals, up to 40% of phobias are related to bugs (including spiders), mice, snake and bats. There are clearly a lot of arachnophobes.

Here is a look at some of the most common phobias from which people may suffer.

Acrophobia – Fear of Heights.

Arachnophobia – Fear of Spiders.

Ophidiophobia – Fear of Snakes.

Agoraphobia – Fear of Having a Panic Attack in Public.

Mysophobia – Fear of Germs.

Cynophobia – Fear of Dogs.

The Number-One Fear. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Public speaking is listed as American’s number-one fear, before death at number five, and loneliness, weighing in at number seven. Guess that means that most of us are less afraid of dying alone than of making fools of ourselves in front of others.

Overall, fear of public speaking is America’s biggest phobia – 25.3 percent say they fear speaking in front of a crowd. Clowns (7.6 percent feared) are officially scarier than ghosts (7.3 percent), but zombies are scarier than both (8.9 percent).

Top 100 Phobia List

Arachnophobia – The fear of spiders affects women four times more (48% women and 12% men).

Ophidiophobia – The fear of snakes.

Acrophobia – The fear of heights.

Agoraphobia – The fear of open or crowded spaces.

Cynophobia – The fear of dogs.

Some of the most common specific phobias include:

Acrophobia – phobia of heights.

Algophobia – phobia of pain, or rhabdophobia – the fear of being beaten.

Arachnophobia – phobia of spiders.

Hydrophobia – phobia of water.

Ophidiophobia – phobia of snakes.

Pteromerhanophobia – phobia of flying.

These are the 25 strangest phobias you could have.

Ablutophobia. If you have ablutophobia then you had better go grab some deodorant because you are probably too scared to take a bath or clean yourself.

Ergophobia.

Nomophobia.

Philophobia.

Somniphobia.

Heliophobia.

Chaetophobia.

Arachibutyrophobia.