Scorpionfly
This freaky bug has a curled tail, just like the scorpion it’s named after. It’s yellow and black, just like a wasp, which only ups its overall scary factor in our opinion. If that all weren’t enough, it’s got a beak. You read that right. A beak. It’s an abomination if we’ve ever seen one. Fun fact: The scorpionfly uses its beak to steal dead bugs out of spiderwebs. That’s right. As if this thing wasn’t freaky enough already, it only eats dead bugs. Nope factor: 10/10. If this thing flew at you in the middle of the night, you’d run outside and need to fight every urge not to burn your house down. Danger level: 0/10. They don’t actually bite or sting humans, and they aren’t venomous. Overall spooky score: 5/10.
Goliath Birdeater
Also known as the equally-scary “goliath bird-eating tarantula,” this arachnid is the largest tarantula in the world. They normally grow to be bigger than the size of a human hand, coming in at 11 inches (28 cm) as an adult. In fact, it’s so big that it literally eats birds, as its name suggests. Picture that. A tarantula eating a bird. No thank you. Fun fact: When birdeaters need to defend themselves, they rub hairs on their arms together to create the world’s least pleasant hissing noise to scare predators away. Nope factor: 9/10. They get a point off because some people think they’re cute enough to be pets, but it’s a symbolic victory for Mr. Birdeater. Danger level: 1/10. It only bites when it feels threatened, but they don’t tend to bite people very often. The bite isn’t dangerous, either. Overall spooky score: 5/10.
Assassin Bug
With a name like “assassin bug,” surely these little guys are bundles of cuddles, right? Not at all. These things literally hunt other bugs. They’ll stalk prey like a coyote or tiger and then pounce on them and suck their insides out. They also have this oddly-shaped body and long, pointy limbs, and round beady eyes that make them look like they just want to stab you (because they probably do). Fun fact: If you want a healthy garden, these bugs are your best friend. They exclusively snack on aphids, caterpillars, and other pests that eat garden plants. Nope factor: 7/10. They look pretty scary if you aren’t emotionally prepared to see a stick bug with the urge to kill. The varieties that fly are probably a 9/10. Danger level: 3/10. They’ll bite humans pretty easily, and their bites are very painful (albeit not a health hazard). Overall spooky score: 5/10.
House Centipede
Some people don’t have beef with house centipedes, but there is a huge chunk of the world that finds them downright terrifying. They have 30 legs that are twice the length of their bodies, and those legs help them climb any surface—including ceilings. So yeah, if you’re not the type who likes to see giant bugs with 30 legs on your wall in the middle of the night when you’re going to get a midnight snack, it’s pretty spooky. Fun fact: House centipedes get their name from the fact that they prefer to live in heated structures, so don’t freak out if you see them in your house. It’s their house, too! Nope factor: 6/10. Not the freakiest bugs of all time, but they seem to really freak out a percentage of the population. Danger level: 0/10. They avoid humans like the plague. In fact, they’re pretty good to have around if you are living with bugs. They snack on spiders, cockroaches, and other pests. Overall spooky score: 3/10.
Camel Spiders
Delightfully known as “wind scorpions,” the camel spider lives in arid climates in North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. They’re about 6 inches (15 cm) long and they can run up to 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). They also have a bizarre color for a bug—they’re varying shades of sandstone—so when they sprint through the desert they’re nearly impossible to see. Fun fact: These odd creatures are known to follow people. They like to hide in the shade, so if you cross one’s path, it might try to scurry behind you to stay in the shadow. Nope factor: 9/10. They’re freaky. They stand on their back legs to scare predators away, and they run faster than any bug on the planet has a right to. Danger level: 2/10. Their bite is super painful, but they don’t normally go after people. Overall spooky score: 6/10.
Tongue-Eating Louse
This freaky isopod buries its way into the mouths of fish and literally eats their tongue so that when the fish goes to eat food, the louse gets the food instead. The fish then slowly starves, and the louse attracts a mate who plants the babies in the fish’s stomach. Super fun bug right here. Fun fact: They normally don’t actually kill the fish. It just starves for a while and loses its tongue, but after the baby lice are born, they leave the fish alone (although we’re sure the bug haunts the fish’s thoughts, so is it ever really alone?). Nope factor: 5/10. It sort of just looks like a little shellfish thing. Scary, but not end-of-the-world spooky. Danger level: 0/10 (for people). 10/10 (for fish). Overall spooky score: 4/10.
Giant Silkworm Assassin Caterpillar
Aside from being notable for having a name that contains four words that have no business being together in the same name, the giant silkworm assassin caterpillar is one of the few deadly caterpillars that doesn’t mature into a deadly moth or butterfly. These dangerous bugs cause hemorrhaging and blood disorders if you touch them. Fun fact: Silkworm assassin caterpillars have a super unique venom. It contains anti-clotting agents that make it impossible for your blood to bunch up and clot. Nope factor: 0/10. These caterpillars are so dangerous partially because they’re so cool-looking. They’re brightly colored, fuzzy, and covered in these unique, gyroscopic spikes that kind of scream “I’m cute and fuzzy.” Danger level: 10/10. These things are responsible for thousands of hospitalizations a year, and they often kill a few people, too. Overall spooky score: 5/10.
Bullet Ant
Exclusive to the area between Nicaragua and the Amazon, this notorious ant is known for its painful bite. In fact, the ant is known as the “24-hour ant” among locals who live with this nightmare creature because the pain from the bite will often persist for at least 24 hours. Fun stuff. Fun fact: Bug bite pains are measured using something called the Schmidt sting pain index. Justin Schmidt was an entomologist who intentionally got stung by thousands of bugs to rate their impact. The scale goes from 1 (least painful) to 4 (most painful). For Schmidt, the bullet ant was an obvious 4. He described it as, “Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.” What a fun fact! Nope factor: 2/10. It just looks like an abnormally hairy ant. Danger level: 10/10. That bite sucks. Overall spooky score: 4/10. On paper, it should be a 6/10, but it really does just look like an ant so we’re knocking off 2 points. Take that, bullet ant!
Cockroach
Compared to some of the other heavy hitters on this list, cockroaches aren’t all that bad. Still, they’re freaky looking, they move kind of too fast for their body type, and they like gross stuff. In fact, human beings are actually genetically wired to be freaked out by cockroaches because we’re actually super allergic to them as a species. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 40% of people are allergic to cockroaches. Fun fact: Cockroaches can live for up to a week without their head! Nope factor: 10/10. It’s hard to think of a bug more likely to immediately freak someone out than a cockroach. Danger level: 2/10. Some people are so allergic to cockroaches that exposure to them can trigger asthma attacks. Overall spooky score: 6/10.
Potato Bug
Also known as the Jerusalem cricket, these flightless bugs grow up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) long, weigh more than an average mouse, and produce some freaky noises to find mates. To make this noise, potato bugs slam their abdomen into the soil over and over again to produce a drumming noise you can hear from over 50 feet (15 m) away. They also just look super creepy. Fun fact: They’re called potato bugs because they were thought to be responsible for eating potato tubers. It turns out they don’t eat potatoes at all. They also aren’t from Jerusalem. This makes them the least accurately named bug on the list. Congrats, potato bug! Nope factor: 9/10. This is a spooky bug to stumble unexpectedly onto. Danger level: 1/10. Their bite is nasty, but they only bite if you pick them up, which there is zero reason for anyone to ever do. Overall spooky score: 5/10.
Japanese Giant Hornet
You know what’s worse than a hornet? A giant hornet. These aggressive wasps are among the biggest wasp species in the world, coming in at around 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) in length. They’re even an invasive species. So, not only are they unfathomably big and mean for no reason, they also destroy the environment. Very nice of you, Mr. Giant Hornet. Fun fact: Japanese giant hornets have the longest stingers of a wasp in the world. Nope factor: 7/10. It’s a giant wasp. It’s not complicated looking, but boy is it freaky. Danger level: 8/10. They’re highly territorial, and their giant stingers can inject venom below the surface of the skin. More than 1-2 bites are enough to put someone in the hospital. In fact, these bugs are responsible for around 20 deaths a year. Overall spooky score: 8/10. We’re rounding up on account of the fact that these things are often mistaken for something called the “murder” hornet. You get mixed up with something that has “murder” in its name, we bump your score up. Them’s the rules.
Titan Beetle
To keep the “that bug is too big” train going, titan beetles are the largest known beetle in the world. They eat wood pulp and they don’t bother humans, but they can grow up to 7 inches (18 cm) long, so they’re scary just based on their size alone. Fun fact: The larvae eat wood pulp, but it’s not actually clear that adult titan beetles eat food. They’ve never been observed eating anything as adults. It’s likely that they live entirely on the calories they consume when they’re larvae. Nope factor: 10/10. If you stumbled on one of these in the middle of the night, you’d drop whatever you’re carrying and run to the nearest emergency exit. Danger level: 1/10. They can bite, but only if you really annoy them. Overall spooky score: 5/10. They get half a point off for being functionally harmless. They’re also endangered, so don’t be mean to them!
Tarantula Hawk
We may have a contender for “scariest bug of all time” with the tarantula hawk. These freaky bugs are technically a species of “spider wasp.” That’s right, there are spider wasps. They grow up to 4.5 inches (11 cm) long, they literally eat tarantulas, and they’re extremely aggressive. They also look freaky—they have all-black bodies, creepy curled-up antennae, and slimy, leathery wings with crazy colors. Fun fact: The tarantula hawk has a fun way of feeding its young. It stabs a tarantula, injects it with poison, and then drags it back to its lair, where it plants eggs in it. Then, when the larvae hatch, they eat the tarantula alive as their first meal. Nope factor: 10/10. You’ll sleep with the lights on for at least a year if you encounter one of these. Danger level: 8/10. Schmidt, the inventor of the pain scale for insect bites, said the only thing to do when bit by a tarantula hawk is to “lay down and scream.” Their bites are extremely painful, but they won’t kill you. Overall spooky score: 9/10.
Giant Water Bug
They carry hundreds of eggs on their back, so they look like freaky little Bloodborne bosses, and they ambush prey from the water like a trapdoor spider. They’re also colossal, growing up to 4.5 inches (11 cm) in length. They also breathe underwater, which should like…not be allowed for bugs. Fun fact: Giant water bugs will act like opossums if they’re taken out of the water and play dead as a defense mechanism. Nope factor: 6/10. They’re spooky, but not otherworldly-horror levels of scary. It helps that they don’t fly. Danger level: 5/10. Their bite really hurts, but it isn’t dangerous. They’re sometimes called “toe-biter bugs” because they bite people who step near them when they’re walking in the water. Overall spooky score: 6/10.
Bed Bug
They aren’t much in the looks department and their bite isn’t especially painful, but if we’re compiling a list of the most terrifying bugs to have in your home, the bed bug is up there. These invasive pests are an absolute pain to get rid of. Fun fact: Bed bugs can ingest more than 7 times their body weight in one sitting. That fun fact would be a lot more fun if it weren’t ingesting human blood, but still. Nope factor: 5/10. It’s a 0/10 in terms of scary looks and a 10/10 in terms of scary facts to learn about your home, so we’re splitting the difference. Danger level: 3/10. If left untreated, bed bug bites can cause hives, blisters, anxiety, anaphylaxis, and paranoia. Overall spooky score: 4/10. We’re kind of grading the bed bug on a curve, though. These guys are awful.
Tsetse Fly
Exclusive to Africa, the Tsetse Fly is a spooky critter that resembles a mutated cicada on steroids. They feed exclusively on blood, and they have a peculiar affinity for humans. Unfortunately, they’re serious vectors for disease, too. Notably, they transmit African sleeping sickness and Nagana, two extremely unpleasant illnesses that can be potentially fatal. Fun fact: Tsetse flies are one of the few biting insects that rely more on sight than smell. If you want to avoid bites, wear beige, khaki, gray, or tan—they seem to avoid these colors. Nope factor: 8/10. It’s a super spooky-looking bug. Danger level: 10/10. Tsetse fly bites aren’t super painful, but they can make you very sick. You must see a doctor immediately if you get bit by one and you begin to experience any kind of symptoms. Overall spooky score: 9/10.
Black Widow Spider
The iconic black widow is definitely a scary bug, but its reputation is probably a bit overblown. Still, there’s nothing scarier than living in a region where black widows are prevalent and stumbling onto a small black spider that might have a red hourglass print on its back. Fun fact: The black widow is supposedly named after the spider’s propensity for killing its mate after laying eggs, but they’re actually pretty bad at killing their mate. The males normally get away unscathed. Perhaps a better name is the angry mom spider? Attempted murder spider? We’ll workshop it. Nope factor: 3/10. They’re scary mainly because of their reputation. In a vacuum, they’re just little black spiders. Danger level: 9/10. Their bites are extremely painful but often not deadly. They’re more likely to kill if they bite someone with a heart condition. Still, contact a doctor immediately—the antivenom is pretty essential if you don’t want to be in excruciating pain. Overall spooky score: 6/10
Mosquitos
We just feel like these guys deserve to be on the list for being colossal jerks. Fun fact: None. There is nothing fun about mosquitoes. Nope factor: 0/10. They’re annoying, but not particularly freaky-looking. Danger level: 3-6/10. It depends on where you live, but these bugs can transmit dangerous diseases like malaria, Dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, West Nile virus, and encephalitis. Overall spooky score: 4/10. Not too spooky. We just like to be mean to mosquitos whenever the opportunity presents itself.
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