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The Mexican honey wasp is beneficial in that it’s used by humans to control aphids, Asian citrus psyllids, and weevils, as well as to pollinate avocados. Due to their production of sweet, floral honey, their nests are historically harvested and destroyed by indigenous and rural communities in Mexico and Central/South […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The flathead catfish, aka mudcat or shovelhead cat, an invasive species in some locales, is the 2nd largest catfish in North America after the blue catfish. Seeing as they are highly targeted by recreational anglers and commercial harvesters, they face the threat of overfishing. They also face the threats of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The desert monitor can be found in northern Africa, as well as central and southern Asia. They are part of the order Squamata, like all monitor lizards. These lizards face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments, farming, and ranching. Their daily […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Asian needle ant originally hails from Japan and mainland Asia. These ants are capable of medically significant stings and are considered a highly invasive species. They are a widely distributed ecological threat in the countries in which they have been introduced. They severely outcompete native species of ant in […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

It seems that wherever you go something is trying to kill bees. The European beewolf is no exception. These predatory wasps hail from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They may be predatory, but they face the threat of fungal and bacterial pathogens that can infest their nests and kill […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The velvet ant, aka cow killer, is not actually an ant at all, but rather a wasp. The females are wingless and carry with them a powerful sting! While there are no listed threats to these wasps, they do face habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The brown bullhead, aka mud pout, horned pout, hornpout, or mud cat, can be found throughout most of North America. These catfish are regularly stocked in lakes meant for fishing all over Canada and the United States. They face the threats of habitat destruction, water pollution, overfishing, and habitat alteration, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Mexican beaded lizard, aka beaded lizard, is but 1 of 2 species of venomous lizards. The other being the Gila monster. The beaded lizard is larger and duller in coloration than the Gila monster. These lizards face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of farming, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The tiger rattlesnake, aka tiger rattler, is a species of venomous pit viper that hails from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The genus name Crotalus is Latin (hailing from the Greek krotalon) meaning “rattle”, “bell”, or “castanet” and their specific name tigris, (coming from the Latin name for […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Amazonian giant centipede, aka Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede, hails primarily from South America, but can be found in the Caribbean as well. These large and ferocious arthropods face the threats of habitat loss and destruction, at the hands of residential and commercial developments, as well as farming and ranching; […]

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