Insects can be downright creepy. Countless movies have capitalized on Americans love/hate relationship with creepy crawlies. From films like The Fly to Mimic, our fear of insects has made its way onto the silver screen to captivate audiences everywhere. Here are just a few gross and ugly insects guaranteed to make you squirm!
From films like Eight Legged Freaks to the creature features of the 1950s, spiders have gotten a bad reputation. Perhaps were secretly terrified of something that if huge – could grab us with any one of its eight legs, trap us in a web, and enjoy us for lunch. But nature boasts a host of utterly creepier-than-normal spiders. A particularly horror-film worthy arachnid is the glass-climbing, fast-moving Brazilian Wandering spider (also known as the banana spider).
Like the Goliath Bird Eating tarantula, the Brazilian Wandering spider is also very large, approximately the size of a human face. While it is usually found in Asia, the Brazilian Wandering spider has been spotted in subtropical areas of Florida, California, and Texas. These spiders are among the most dangerous and venomous in the world and its bite can be fatal to humans. Its also been known to hitch rides on bananas. According to the Daily Mail, a spider that may have been a Brazilian Wandering spider recently traveled on a bunch of bananas into a terrified British familys home.
Roaches keep to the damp dark, and theyre attracted to debris and garbage of all kinds. Maybe thats why horror movies, such as the Stephen King classic Creepshow, feature them so prominently. A hissing cockroach can seem like only something found in a movie, but its a reality at least in Madagascar. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, which grows to an estimated 7.5 centimeters make their trademark creepy noise by channeling air through many breathing holes on their body. Similarly gross is the aptly named Deaths Head Cockroach, which measures up to 60 centimeters. Thats a whopping 23 inches!
Wasps dont die after one sting. That might be a reason behind creature feature films like 1959s The Wasp Woman or 2012s Dragon Wasps; wasps can be very dangerous and can continue to sting a victim, causing pain, potential allergies, or death. At the very least, being stung by a wasp is downright uncomfortable.
However, the terrifying tarantula hawk a solitary wasp that inflicts stings so painful that theyve been described as electric — will experience what doctors call the worlds most painful sting. It lasts for approximately three excruciating minutes. The good news is that if you dont bother one of these tarantula hawk wasps, they likely wont bother you. Still, turning around and fleeing the area might not be a bad idea.
The odds are good that youll never run into these spooky creepers here in the U.S. However, if one of these bugs should make your autumn even scarier, call us – weve been the name you trust for over 75 years.