Wart-biter Decticus verrucivorus

This fascinating bush-cricket earned both its common and scientific names through a genuinely bizarre historical practice. In 18th-century Sweden, people would allow these crickets to nibble away at their warts — a decidedly unconventional form of folk medicine. The scientific name 'verrucivorus' literally means 'wart-eating,' immortalizing this strange remedy in taxonomy forever. Despite this unusual fame, these are actually powerful, aggressive bush-crickets with strong, sharp mandibles capable of delivering a painful bite. They're large, impressive insects that definitely earned the respect and fear of those who crossed them. Pure medieval weirdness in insect form.