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No confirmed photo of Blister beetles
Blister beetles
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that produce blisters, or vesicating toxins (e.g., blister beetles, certain stinging caterpillars, millipedes).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Florida Bugs and Insects That Sting or Bite
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 11 insects. 9 are venomous by official accounts. 1 is nonnative.
Not every species: no complete official list of Florida insects exists, so this page covers the ones state and Extension sources name. How lists are built.
Which insects can hurt you
Official sources single out these insects in Florida, in their own words:
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Bees, wasps and fire ants (Hymenoptera)
Stings. “Death can occur within one hour after the person has been stung by a Hymenopteran (bees, fire ants, wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets).” UF/IFAS Extension
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Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Red imported fire ant
Painful sting. “The remainder of the venom contains an aqueous solution of proteins, peptides, and other small molecules that produce the allergic reaction in hypersensitive individuals.” UF/IFAS Extension
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Photo: Sue Carnahan · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Puss caterpillar
One of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States. “…the puss caterpillar, which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States” UF/IFAS Extension
All 11 insects
Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.
No confirmed photo of Hag moth caterpillar
Hag moth caterpillar
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that produce blisters, or vesicating toxins (e.g., blister beetles, certain stinging caterpillars, millipedes).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
No confirmed photo of Honey bee
Honey bee
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that attack the central nervous system, or neurotoxins (e.g., black and brown widow spiders, bark scorpions, certain ticks, Hymenoptera, wheel bugs).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
No confirmed photo of Io moth caterpillar
Io moth caterpillar
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that produce blisters, or vesicating toxins (e.g., blister beetles, certain stinging caterpillars, millipedes).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Puss caterpillar (southern flannel moth larva)
Megalopyge opercularis
- Size
- About 1 inch long per most extension sources; full-grown larvae reared by UF/IFAS reached about 1.4 inches (1.6 inches including the tail). MDC says about 1.5 inches.
- How to recognize it
- Teardrop shape with hairs tapering to a tail; looks like a tiny mouse or a cat
- Resembles a tiny mouse; younger larvae have a thick tuft of hair like a tail. Older larvae can look unkempt, with sparser hair that hides the stinging spines less well (VCE).
- Venomous hollow spines hidden under the soft hair
What the sources say
Venom: “…the puss caterpillar, which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Red imported fire ant
Solenopsis invicta
- Danger to people
- “The remainder of the venom contains an aqueous solution of proteins, peptides, and other small molecules that produce the allergic reaction in hypersensitive individuals.” UF/IFAS Extension
What the sources say
Venom: “The sting of the RIFA possesses venom of an alkaloid nature, which exhibits potent necrotoxic activity.” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Saddleback caterpillar
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that produce blisters, or vesicating toxins (e.g., blister beetles, certain stinging caterpillars, millipedes).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
No confirmed photo of Wasps (hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps)
Wasps (hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps)
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that attack the central nervous system, or neurotoxins (e.g., black and brown widow spiders, bark scorpions, certain ticks, Hymenoptera, wheel bugs).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
No confirmed photo of Wheel bug
Wheel bug
What the sources say
Venom: “Venoms that attack the central nervous system, or neurotoxins (e.g., black and brown widow spiders, bark scorpions, certain ticks, Hymenoptera, wheel bugs).” (UF/IFAS Extension)
Tropical fire ant (native fire ant)
Solenopsis geminata
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Velvet ants (family Mutillidae)
Velvet ants (family Mutillidae)
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
When insects are active in Florida
Records of insects in Florida peak in March to July and September. They show when people record insects, not how many there are (about month bars).
- Alligator courtship begins in early April; mating in May or June; nesting late June/early July; hatching mid-August to early September. FWC
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
Official advice from FWC:
How to report
Report nonnative animals to the FWC Invasive Species Hotline 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681); FWC asks the public to call the Hotline for high-priority species: all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards and tegus. Other nonnative species can be reported via the IveGot1 app or IveGot1.org. Alligator or crocodile concerns: 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). FWC
About this list
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in Florida.
Sources
- Checklist of Florida's Amphibians and Reptiles (Revised 2023). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Revised 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
- ENY-215 Stinging or Venomous Insects and Related Pests (Koehler & Diclaro). UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS). Original publication date January 1996; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (3)
“Venoms that attack the central nervous system, or neurotoxins (e.g., black and brown widow spiders, bark scorpions, certain ticks, Hymenoptera, wheel bugs).”
“Venoms that produce blisters, or vesicating toxins (e.g., blister beetles, certain stinging caterpillars, millipedes).”
“Death can occur within one hour after the person has been stung by a Hymenopteran (bees, fire ants, wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets).”
- EENY-195 Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta. UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS). Original Jan 2001; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“The sting of the RIFA possesses venom of an alkaloid nature, which exhibits potent necrotoxic activity.”
“The remainder of the venom contains an aqueous solution of proteins, peptides, and other small molecules that produce the allergic reaction in hypersensitive individuals.”
- EENY-545 Puss Caterpillar, Southern Flannel Moth, Megalopyge opercularis. UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS). Original Jan 2013; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (3)
“…the puss caterpillar, which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States”
“The spines are obscured by the long soft setae in the late instars.”
“…were much larger and measured approximately 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) in body length and 4.0 cm (1.6 inches) including the tail.”
- Atlantic Stingray (FWRI ray species). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured January 21, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Do the "Stingray Shuffle" to reduce the chance of stepping on these rays and risking possible injury from their spine.”
- Ray Species (FWRI). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured May 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Most stingray injuries require immediate medical attention. For more information contact the National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.”
- Alligator Facts. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured September 1, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Courtship begins in early April, and mating occurs in May or June.”
- Report Nonnative Species. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured October 25, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“You can call the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681) to report nonnative animals. We ask the public to call the Hotline to report high priority species, which include all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards, and tegus.”
- GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.