Majority of Insects Are Not Harmful (IMAGE) Florida Museum of Natural History Caption The vast majority of insects are not harmful to humans. Of the more-than 3,000 mosquito species, a fraction pose a risk to people. Many others are beneficial, such as this Toxorhynchites rutilus, which preys on other mosquitoes and pollinates flowering plants. Credit Lawrence Reeves Usage Restrictions Please credit Lawrence Reeves License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.