Saddleback caterpillar
What the sources say
Venom: “Its body is covered with hairs that contain an irritating venom.” (Maryland Poison Center)
Maryland Bugs and Insects That Sting or Bite
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 16 insects and 3 ticks: 9 from DNR's Invasive and Exotic Species in Maryland: Animals; Maryland Poison Center Bites and Stings and 10 named in other official sources. 1 is venomous by official accounts. 11 are nonnative.
Not every species: no complete official list of Maryland 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 Maryland, in their own words:
-
Bees, wasps, and hornets
Stings. “If you are stung multiple times, there is a chance that the stings might cause more harm.” Maryland Poison Center
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Photo: Katja Schulz · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Saddleback caterpillar
Irritating venom in body hairs. “Its body is covered with hairs that contain an irritating venom.” Maryland Poison Center
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Stinging caterpillars (saddleback, puss, Io moth)
Spines or hairs may inject poison. “When touched, the hairs break off and the poison is injected, causing an inflammation of the skin and a burning sensation that may feel like a bee sting.” University of Maryland Extension
Ticks (arachnids, not insects)
Official sources single out these ticks in Maryland, in their own words:
-
Ticks (black-legged, American dog, lone star)
Disease. “While Lyme disease is the most prevalent tickborne disease in Maryland, ticks can also transmit babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia.” Maryland Department of Health
All 16 insects and 3 ticks
Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.
American dog tick
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Maryland
- Ticks are found throughout Maryland. Maryland Department of Health / Carroll County Health Department
No confirmed photo of Asian Longhorned Beetle
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Anoplophora glabripennis
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested (DNR)
No confirmed photo of Bees, wasps, and hornets
Bees, wasps, and hornets
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Danger to people
- “If you are stung multiple times, there is a chance that the stings might cause more harm.” Maryland Poison Center
Black-legged tick
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Maryland
- Ticks are found throughout Maryland. Maryland Department of Health / Carroll County Health Department
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halys
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Adults about 5/8 inch (about 17 mm) long; shield-shaped, almost as wide as long.
- How to recognize it
- Two white bands on the antennae; blunt front edge of head; smooth shoulder margin; dark bands at the tip of the membranous forewings; banded abdominal edge visible beside the wings
- Smooth (not spiny) shoulders; slightly larger than most native stink bugs
- Where in Maryland
- Statewide DNR
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested; Non-Forested (DNR)
Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- About 3/8 to 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch wide; small enough to fit on a penny
- How to recognize it
- Slender, bullet-shaped body
- Signs on ash trees: S-shaped galleries under the bark and D-shaped exit holes about 1/8 inch across
- Tree symptoms: dead branches near the top, sprouts on the trunk, vertical bark cracks, and woodpecker 'blonding'
- Where in Maryland
- Western; Central; Southern DNR
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested (DNR)
Gypsy Moth
Lymantria dispar
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Mature caterpillars 1.5 to 2.5 inches long (Missouri: up to 2 inches). Male moths about 1.5-inch wingspread; females larger, about 2 to 2.5 inches.
- How to recognize it
- Older caterpillars have a double row of five pairs of blue spots followed by six pairs of red spots down the back, and tufts of hair on each segment.
- Spongy moth caterpillars do not make silk webs or tents.
- Females are white and cannot fly; males are brown and fly erratically in daytime in July and August.
- Where in Maryland
- Western DNR
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested (DNR)
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Adelges tsugae
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Maryland
- Western DNR
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested (DNR)
Honey bee
Apis mellifera
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- About 10 percent smaller than a European honey bee, a difference too subtle to see without measurement or lab tests.
- How to recognize it
- Cannot be identified by eye: only DNA testing or microscopic measurements can tell it from a European honey bee.
- Clue is behavior and nest site: very defensive, and may nest in small cavities such as water meter boxes, old tires, house eaves or the ground.
No confirmed photo of Io moth caterpillar
Io moth caterpillar
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonica
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Adults about 1/3 to 1/2 inch long (WSDA); 7/16 inch (Kentucky); 3/8 inch long and 1/4 inch wide (Iowa State).
- How to recognize it
- Row of five white hair tufts on each side of the abdomen
- Leaves eaten between the veins look lace-like (skeletonized)
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested; Non-Forested (DNR)
Large carpenter bee
Xylocopa virginica
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Lone star tick
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Maryland
- Ticks are found throughout Maryland. Maryland Department of Health / Carroll County Health Department
Oriental Beetle
Exomala orientalis
- 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 Pine Shoot Beetle
Pine Shoot Beetle
Tomicus piniperda
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested (DNR)
No confirmed photo of Puss caterpillar
Puss caterpillar
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
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Red Imported Fire Ant
Solenopsis invicta
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say
Habitat: Forested; Non-Forested (DNR)
Spotted lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Adults are roughly 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide.
- How to recognize it
- Forewings brown or gray with black spots, ending in a speckled band.
- Hind wings scarlet with black spots, plus white and black bars.
- Abdomen yellow with black bars. Legs and head black.
- Where in Maryland
- As of 2025 we have seen spotted lanternfly in 20 of our 23 counties, including Baltimore city. Maryland Department of Agriculture
Insects and Bugs people confuse
Emerald ash borer or Japanese beetle?
Emerald ash borer Not stated
Japanese beetle Not stated
Listed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and DNR among insects confused with EAB. The sheet gives photos, not a written test.
Africanized Honey Bee or European honey bee?
Africanized Honey Bee Not stated
European honey bee Not stated
Not by sight: same species and same appearance. Differences are behavior and nest choice, and a confirmed ID needs testing.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When insects are active in Maryland
Records of insects in Maryland peak in June to September. They show when people record insects, not how many there are (about month bars).
- Ticks: season starts in spring; keep checking through fall. Maryland Department of Health
- Saddleback caterpillars hatch in June and July. Maryland Poison Center
- Spiny dogfish are most abundant in Maryland from November to April. DNR
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.
What official sources say
Are there fire ants in Maryland?
DNR lists red imported fire ant on its invasive animal table with no region given. DNR
“Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta Forested; Non-Forested”
About this list
The species list comes from Invasive and Exotic Species in Maryland: Animals (Insects); Maryland Poison Center Bites and Stings (Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), undated; Internet Archive capture 2026-05-15). 10 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
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 Maryland.
Sources
- Maryland's Wildlife Species. Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). archived copy, captured September 6, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
- Invasive and Exotic Species in Maryland: Animals. Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). archived copy, captured May 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta Forested; Non-Forested”
- Spotted Lanternfly Identification & Management. Maryland Department of Agriculture. as of 2025 per page text; checked November 3, 2026.
- Common Maryland Bees. Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). archived copy, captured December 26, 2025; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
- What you need to know about Bites and Stings. Maryland Poison Center (University of Maryland School of Pharmacy). Revised 07/2023; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“If you are stung multiple times, there is a chance that the stings might cause more harm.”
- 7 Unforgettable Cases Managed by the Maryland Poison Center (eAntidote). Maryland Poison Center. June 2022; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“Its body is covered with hairs that contain an irritating venom.”
“They hatch from their cocoons during June and July.”
- Stinging Caterpillars on Shrubs. University of Maryland Extension. archived copy, captured June 6, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“When touched, the hairs break off and the poison is injected, causing an inflammation of the skin and a burning sensation that may feel like a bee sting.”
- Ticks. Maryland Department of Health / Carroll County Health Department. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- MDH urges Marylanders to guard against tickborne diseases. Maryland Department of Health. May 3, 2024; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“While Lyme disease is the most prevalent tickborne disease in Maryland, ticks can also transmit babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia.”
“Spring is the start of tick season, but Marylanders should continue to check for ticks after outdoor activities through the fall.”
- Fish Facts: Spiny Dogfish Shark. Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). archived copy, captured June 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“In Maryland, spiny dogfish are most abundant from November to April.”
- 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.