Bug Enthusiast Puts Insects in His Mouth (Wasps, Bees, Scorpions, and Ticks), All So That He Can Educate the Masses About Brilliant Buggos

Some bugs are cute: like honey bees, butterflies, ladybugs, caterpillars, and rollie-pollies. Those are some crawly boys who most people would be okay with seeing in the wild or maybe having sit in their hand in a controlled situation. Otherwise, the general populous can agree that buggos are called "creepy crawlies" for a reason. We get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about spiders, some folks have nightmares about millipedes, and we definitely, definitely can all agree that we hate ticks. But why is that? Maybe we just don't know enough about them.

One man named Kelvin, an insect enthusiast and entomolgy expert, has put his body on the line for the sake of education, putting all sorts of dangerous buggos in his mouth so that he can catch eyeballs willing to learn more about these critters. At first, he seems functionally insane (as wasps are flying around in his tonsils), but then as you dive deeper into his posts, you see that he's simply passionate about insects and eager to teach people about them. Why does he have to put them in his mouth first? We'll never know. But it certainly is attention grabbing, so maybe he's onto something here.

Posted by Jesse Kessenheimer

1

"Reaching an average length of about 6- 8 inches, the Giant Desert Centipede (Scolopendra heros arizonensis) are the largest centipede species in North America. Equipped with 42 legs when fully grown, these creatures use their potent venom to incapacitate large prey items, such as mice, small reptiles, and even amphibians!…"

Via kelvinwiley
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2

"I have a particular liking to large wasp species, such as these three Eastern Cicada Killers (Sphecius speciosus). Females of this species fly around in search of cicadas. Once one has been spotted, the female Eastern Cicada Killer grabs ahold of the cicada and begins to sting the cicada's abdominal region. The venom injected from its stinger is paralyzing venom that leaves the cicada completely immobilized! With the helpless cicada unable to move, the Eastern Cicada Killer drags the cicada back to its unground burrow, where she then lays a single egg on the paralyzed cicada's body…."

Via kelvinwiley
3

"I really enjoy producing content and sharing it out with the world for not only viewing pleasure, but also to get people interested in many of the organisms that people seem to be fearful and uncomfortable with! ???????????? The species in the video is my female Trinidad Chevron Tarantula (Psalmopoeus cambridgei)…."

Via kelvinwiley
4

"Where's the strangest place you found a tick on your body? These small bloodsucking arachnids can be a nuisance when you're just trying to enjoy a day of being outdoors. Ticks, such as this male American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) that I found, is a vector of pathogens which can cause various illnesses like canine tick paralysis, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever…"

Via kelvinwiley
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5

"When your entire body is the same color as a stop sign, it's very hard to go unnoticed. The Eastern Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) is an insect with a very misleading name. Despite the word "ant" in its name, these insects are actually wasps! You may know these insects by their other name, Cow Killer. However, that name is also misleading too, since they can't actually kill a cow. This one that I found is a female. The females commonly get mistaken as being ants do due to their ant-like body and their lack of wings…"

Via kelvinwiley
6

"The lovely lady that's sitting on my face in my profile picture is the same beautiful creature that's featured in this video! Meet one of the largest scorpion species in the world, the Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator). Mine is an adult female. These scorpions are native to the rainforests of Western Africa. On average, these scorpions can live for about 7 years. With massive pincers (pedipalps), these scorpions are able to take down a wide range of prey items of all sizes…"

Via kelvinwiley
7

"What's better than one Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)? Three Bald-Faced Hornets (Dolichovespula maculata) of course! Despite their black and white body coloration, the Bald-Faced Hornet is actually a species of yellowjacket. Its name is also misleading. Despite "hornet" in its name, the Bald-Faced Hornet is not a true hornet. True hornets belong to the genus (Vespa). These wasps play an important role in our ecosystems. Bald-Faced Hornets are excellent pollinators, as well as predators to many insects."

Via kelvinwiley
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8

"One of the most infamous yet iconic predators in the world of insects, goes to none other than the formidable, underwater brute, the Giant Water Bug! This particular species of giant water bug is (Lethocerus medius). In the wild, giant water bugs, also sometimes called toe biters, reside under the water of ponds, creeks, streams, and lakes. By grabbing ahold of plants, rocks, leafs, and other debris found in the water, they lie and wait for unsuspecting prey to ambush. With their bodies resembling that of a dead leaf, prey, such as frogs, tadpoles, fish, turtles, snakes, and other aquatic life, may find it hard to notice the underwater assailant…."

Via kelvinwiley
9

"This may come as a surprise to many, but female horseflies are the only ones that do the biting! The females feed primarily on the blood of mammals. They require blood for the development of their eggs. Adult male horseflies don't have the necessary mouthparts to feed on blood, and instead feed on nectar and plant juices…"

Via kelvinwiley
10

"This is a common household arthropod that I'm sure many of you can relate to seeing in your homes. It's called a House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata). I typically find these guys in my bathroom and basement from time to time. I hear a lot about people killing these guys when they see them, mostly out of fear, but they're quite beneficial to have in your homes!…"

Via kelvinwiley
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11

"Out of all of the different families of spiders, jumping spiders make up the most diverse family of spiders! These small eight-legged jumping beans belong to the spider family known as Salticidae. There are over 6,000+ species of jumping spiders within this family, making them the largest group of any family of spiders! Like all spiders, they are predators who are on a constant hunt for prey…."

Via kelvinwiley
12

"Does the world's largest species of assassin bug, the Horrid King Assassin Bug, (Psytalla horrida) really have an excruciating bite as many claim that it does? I put that claim to the test in my newest YouTube video that I just uploaded today! Find out if the Horrid King Assassin Bug really does match up to the fearsomeness that it displays in both its name and appearance!"

Via kelvinwiley
13

"Jerusalem Crickets have been shrouded with many myths about being potentially dangerous and harmful to humans. But are these claims true, or are they just fables? Find out today on my newest YouTube video that I just uploaded where I try to get one to bite me!"

Via kelvinwiley
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14

"Often confused with the Giant Asian Hornet (Vespa mandarinia), the European Hornet (Vespa crabro) is a closely related species of its Asian cousins. This is actually the largest and only species of true hornet in North America! These hornets prey on a variety of different insects, such as flies, honeybees, and grasshoppers. These hornets will often strip trees and shrubs of their bark to feed on the sap that's inside. They will also use the bark for building their nests…"

Via kelvinwiley