There are plenty of contenders for the top 10 deadliest insects in the world. Forget great white sharks and grizzly bears, insects are actually the most dangerous group of animals in the world to humans.
This is in a large part due to their proficiency at carrying and spreading deadly diseases, from malaria to the black death.
Many species of insect feed on vertebrate blood, putting them in a prime position to carry nasty bacteria, viruses, and parasites from victim to victim, and often from animal to human.
This list of deadly insects will cover such disease carriers, as well as those that can kill through toxic stings and bites, and even by destroying our crops.
Insects have been implicated in major history-defining events, from devastating plagues to colonial expansions, and their effects have shaped our own human evolution. Size really can be deceptive.
Read on to find out more about the world’s deadliest insects.