9 brutal insect photos that show how these ruthless predators sting, swarm and devour their prey

These incredible images demonstrate the brutality of the creepy crawly and how they can overpower prey

Ants biting and dragging Spider to nest — Credit - Adisak Mitrprayoon - via Getty

Daisy Bowie-Sell

Published: March 16, 2026 at 6:49 am

They may be small, but many are exceptionally mighty – and insects are some of the most formidable predators on the planet, from those that sting, to those that work together to overpower their prey.

Deadliest insects on the planet: Discover the world's most dangerous insects to humans, including one that's a major ingredient in 'love potions'
Weirdest insects in the world - including a moth that resembles a poodle and a fly with eyes on stalks

Brutal insect photos

Sexual cannibalism, Close-up portrait of large female green praying mantis eats the male after mating on tree branch covered with lichen. Transcaucasian tree mantis (Hierodula transcaucasica) — Not all praying mantises eat their mates, but of those that do, it has been shown that it could help to increase their fertility. This picture shows a female praying mantis in the act of devouring a male. Credit - Andriy Nekrasov/Getty Images

A robber flies catching prey in the Sidemen rainforest on the island of Bali in Indonesia. — Often called assassin flies, robber flies are powerfully built insects that use a proboscis after ambushing prey. Credit - Marcophotos/Getty Images

Ants biting and dragging Spider to nest — Ants are known to use collective swarming tactics to overpower their prey. Army ants in particular are known for this, releasing a chemical that attracts nearby ants that then form a swarm that can disembody prey within minutes. Credit - Adisak Mitrprayoon/Getty Images

Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) close-up of adult with fly prey Eccles-on-sea, Norfolk, UK. September — Blue-tailed damselflies seem delicate and tiny, but could they really hurt a fly? Yes – as seen in the image above. They are carnivorous predators that will feed primarily on insects such as midges and mosquitoes. They catch prey with their legs in flight. Credit - Neil Bowman/Getty Images

What's the biggest dragonfly in the world?

Dragonfly eating a mosquito — Dragonflies are lean, mean hunting machines and are usually separated into two groups based on their hunting strategies: perchers and hawkers. They can ambush their prey from behind and below by taking advantage of its blind spot. They've even been known to catch and eat small birds. Credit - Towlake/Getty Images

A ladybug larva devouring a green aphid. Natural enemies of plant pests. A biological method of protecting plants against pests. — The ladybird is one of the more beloved insects in our gardens, and both the adult ladybird and the ladybird larvae are a huge asset to a gardener's work. They will eat aphids, which are often a reason why a plant may not be faring quite so well. Several species are used for biological control of pests. Credit - Tomasz Klejdysz/Getty Images

Oriental hornet on top of a grasshopper body. Macro photography. — There are several different species of hornets. The European hornet is less aggressive than the common wasp and is also an important pollinator and predator species. Their stingers, however, are more painful, with some being the most venomous known insects. Credit - Bill_Anastasiou/Getty Images

Daisy Bowie-Sell

Daisy is a journalist and writer with 20 years of experience working on titles including the Telegraph, Time Out London, WhatsOnStage, Gardens Illustrated, the Guardian and Ambit Magazine. Her passions are wildlife, gardens and the arts and loves it best when those things intersect.