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Rhode Island Bugs and Insects That Sting or Bite

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which insects can hurt you
  2. Ticks (arachnids, not insects)
  3. All 3 insects and 2 ticks
  4. When they are active
  5. If you are bitten or stung
  6. About this list
  7. Sources

This page lists 3 insects and 2 ticks. 1 is nonnative.

Not every species: no complete official list of Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, in their own words:

Ticks (arachnids, not insects)

Official sources single out these ticks in Rhode Island, in their own words:

All 3 insects and 2 ticks

From A to Z. Do not handle them.

No confirmed photo of Bees and wasps (group; species not stated)

Bees and wasps (group; species not stated)

Not stated

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 Deer Tick (garrapata de ciervo; an arachnid, included for disease risk)

Deer Tick (garrapata de ciervo; an arachnid, included for disease risk)

Not stated Tick: an arachnid, not an insect

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Emerald Ash Borer
Photo: Brandon McCracken · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Emerald Ash Borer

Not stated Invasive

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 (an arachnid, included for disease risk)
Photo: Jasper Shide · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Lone Star Tick (an arachnid, included for disease risk)

Amblyomma americanum

Not stated Tick: an arachnid, not an insect

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
“…but the nymphal and adult stages can transmit the germs causing Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Bourbon virus disease, and Tularemia” University of Rhode Island, TickEncounter
Where in Rhode Island
Prudence Island; a few seen in Jamestown (undated URI blurb) University of Rhode Island, TickEncounter
What the sources say

Habitat: Lone Star ticks are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas. (University of Rhode Island, TickEncounter)

No confirmed photo of Mosquitoes (group; DEM names Aedes, Coquillettidia and Culex as bridge vectors)

Mosquitoes (group; DEM names Aedes, Coquillettidia and Culex as bridge vectors)

Not stated

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 Rhode Island

Records of insects in Rhode Island peak in June to August. They show when people record insects, not how many there are (about month bars).

5,038 records of insects in Rhode Island by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

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.

About this list

The species list comes from No official complete list. Entries from DEM, URI TickEncounter and the MA & RI Poison Center (Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife, Sources vary; see each entry). 5 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 Rhode Island.

Sources

  1. Learn about RI wildlife. Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured June 8, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan, Chapter 1: Rhode Island’s Fish and Wildlife. Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured March 5, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. DEM announces Emerald Ash Borer found in Rhode Island (press release). Rhode Island DEM via RI.gov. Release date: 07-25-2018; checked November 3, 2026.
  4. Lone Star Tick (TickEncounter). University of Rhode Island, TickEncounter. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “…but the nymphal and adult stages can transmit the germs causing Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Bourbon virus disease, and Tularemia”
    “Adults are active April-late August”
  5. Peligros en el Aire Libre (Outdoor Hazards; Spanish-language page). Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  6. Final RI Mosquito Report of 2024: No Additional EEE or West Nile Virus Findings (press release). Rhode Island DEM and Rhode Island Department of Health. archived copy, captured May 14, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Approximately 30% of people with EEE virus die, and many survivors have ongoing neurological problems.”
    “Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall.”
  7. 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.