The Insect class gunboats (or large China gunboats) were a class of small, but well-armed Royal Navy ships designed for use in shallow rivers or inshore. They were intended for use on the Danube (the name was to disguise their function). The first four ships—Gnat, Mantis, Moth and Tarantula—were actually first employed during the World War I Mesopotamian Campaign on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.