What Makes A Bug Ready For Battle?

Humans often talk about insects in war-like terms: the pests are our foes, they’re assailants, they’re intruders that invade our homes in droves, hordes, and armies. When we get down to their level, bugs are impressive warriors.

Some insects are even given names that sound like they’re engaging in warfare. Take, for instance, Assassin Bugs. These deadly creatures use their long mouth for a deadly kiss, stabbing their prey with paralyzing venom, then slurping in their bodily fluids through a straw-like beak. Some species are referred to as an “Ambush Bug” for its hunting style. These insects set up their base camps in flowers, then lie in wait for their prey to pass. After that, they lunge out and devour their enemy. The Masked Hunter is known for its incredible ability to camouflage itself and hide among balls of dust, then pounce when it sees something its interested in.

Certain bugs are simply massive and use that to their advantage. Golden orb-weavers – also known as banana spiders – are the perfect example of this. The arachnids grow to 2 inches long and build gigantic webs that can catch things like beetles, locusts, and cicadas, making them one of the laziest warriors.

You might have heard the expression, “cockroaches will outlive a nuclear apocalypse.” No doubt, the bugs are tough. A Mythbusters experiment showed cockroaches do survive exposure to radioactive material longer than humans. These insects are resilient in other ways, too. Their flat body shape allows them to easily hide in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. They seem like the perfect soldier. Cockroaches have also been around for quite a long time, evolving their hunting and attacking techniques. Other insects have survived even longer. Scientists found what’s now being labeled the world’s oldest bug: a 425-million-year-old millipede found fossilized in Scotland.

Then there is the ant, the Swiss Army Knife of the insect world. They dig nests underground, and scientists argue this would be more likely to save them in an apocalypse. They’ve got another military skill, they can use their bodies as a parachute, spreading out their legs to slow the fall, making them able to withstand falls of hundreds of feet. These creatures also come with full armor. Their exoskeleton serves as a protective layer that keeps them safe from blunt force and piercing blows alike, making them ferocious in battles with their mortal enemy, termites. There’s more, ants’ nervous systems are distributed throughout their body, so crushing their heads isn’t always an effective way to kill them. Plus, their blood is extremely effective at clotting, so they won’t bleed out the way human foes do. Should we call them the insect version of The Terminator?

Other than survival skills and organization, though, what else makes an insect ready for a battle? Of course, there are plenty of insects that have developed stingers to ward off their foes. Wasps, bees, hornets, and scorpions carry their stingers like swords dipped in poison. Scorpions, known for their fierce, aggressive behavior, even use their stingers against their own and have become known for cannibalism. Still, some outshine the others.

The Murder Hornet, known for its gigantic mandibles and vicious temper, has been in the headlines recently. These creatures leave a pile of slain insect bodies in their wake, usually bees – another stinger-bearing insect that proves no match for the Murder Hornets. They carry a massive stinger long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit and bearing venom strong enough to kill a human. 

Still, the idiom tells us the best offense is a good defense. Many insects have developed impressive camouflage techniques to help them weather the enemy. Stick Bugs disguise themselves to look like small twigs, and there’s another called the Walking Leaf that wears colors identical to trees and leaves and even flutters its wings in the wind as a leaf might blow. The Dead Leaf Butterfly is named exactly for its appearance, blending in on a tree or the forest floor perfectly. Plenty of moths, caterpillars, and countless other bugs use these same tactics, hoping to walk through life unnoticed. In contrast, the Walking Flower Mantis uses its disguise for another purpose; the insect mimics the orchid flower, hoping its prey will come over to it and make an unsuspecting meal. 

Insects are such effective warriors they have been used in many human battles going back to the 2nd century. As Roman legions approached, King Barsamia and the people of Mesopotamia bombarded them with clay pots filled with scorpions. The Romans were held off for 20 days until they disbanded and withdrew. In WW II, the Japanese dropped cholera-infected fleas on the Chinese, killing over 400,000 people. There are even examples of this in the Bible (“I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out...”—Joshua 24:12.)

No matter how fearsome certain bugs may be they are no match for Elite Pest Control. Our locally owned and operated company has over a decade of experience, along with the highest-quality tools and materials, topped off with a genuine concern for our clients’ happiness and wellbeing.