Forget vampires. These insects are real, weird, and hiding closer than you think. Just in time for Halloween, we’re highlighting 10 bizarre bugs from North America that haven’t made it into our blog lineup before, but absolutely deserve the spotlight.
1. Toe-Biter (Lethocerus americanus)
Also known as the giant water bug, this predator lurks in ponds and can deliver a painful bite to unsuspecting waders.
Horror Highlight: Uses piercing mouthparts to liquefy prey from the inside.
Found: Freshwater ponds, lakes, and slow streams.
2. Bee Assassin Bug (Apiomerus spp.)
A colorful killer of pollinators, it disguises itself among flowers to ambush bees.
Horror Highlight: Injects digestive enzymes and slurps the bee like nectar.
Found: Gardens, meadows, and field edges.
3. Bristletail (Machilidae family)
These ancient, scale-covered, jumping insects look like living fossils.
Horror Highlight: Silvery, fast, and almost impossible to catch, like a haunted shrimp.
Found: Under logs, rocks, and leaf litter.
4. Eastern Dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus)
With giant mandibles and veiny wings, the male looks like a medieval nightmare.
Horror Highlight: Larvae (hellgrammites) are aquatic and have powerful biting jaws.
Found: Along rivers and streams in the eastern U.S.
5. Twice-Stabbed Lady Beetle (Chilocorus stigma)
black ladybug with two sinister red spots. Looks like it’s bleeding from the inside.
Horror Highlight: Its name sounds like a crime scene.
Found: Trees and shrubs, especially where scale insects are present.
6. Scorpionfly (Panorpa spp.)
Has a face like an elephant, a tail like a scorpion, and feeds on dead insects.
Horror Highlight: The “scorpion” tail is harmless, but terrifying to see.
Found: Woodlands and moist meadows.
7. Lace Bug (Corythucha spp.)
Their wings look like glass mosaics, but their feeding turns leaves into haunted tissue paper.
Horror Highlight: Sap-sucking skulls with lace cloaks.
Found: Undersides of leaves, especially oaks and sycamores.
8. Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)
Invades homes in fall, emits a pungent odor when disturbed, and vibrates like it’s possessed.
Horror Highlight: Flies noisily around rooms like an angry ghost.
Found: Wooded areas…and your windowsill.
9. Spined Micrathena (Micrathena gracilis)
A spider with a weird, spiky abdomen shaped like a Halloween gourd.
Horror Highlight: Looks like it’s wearing armor made of bone.
Found: Forests in late summer and fall.
10. Ensign Wasp (Evaniidae family)
Tiny, sleek, and always waving its abdomen like a flag. Its larvae feed on cockroach eggs.
Horror Highlight: Creeps into oothecae (egg cases) and devours unborn roaches.
Found: In buildings, kitchens, and dark corners. 😱