Other biting & stinging arthropods
Africanized "killer" bees - a highly aggressive strain of honey bee that has moved into the southern states (US). Great care should be taken when these dangerous insects are encountered.
Bed bugs - biting insects that feed at night. Often associated with bedrooms and motel/hotel rooms. Infested rooms often have a distinctive odor.
Biting midges are tiny, biting flies sometimes called "no-see-ums" or "punkies". These midges breed in salt marshes, mud flats, and shallow freshwater. Bites can be extremely irritating. Repellents containing DEET are effective. Sweet-itch in horses is caused by the bite of a midge.
Black flies are small, biting flies. Larvae are aquatic, found in shallow, fast-flowing streams. These flies bite during daylight hours. Repellents containing DEET are effective.
Brown recluse spiders are found in south-central US. They have a poisonous bite that sometimes results in a large, slow-healing wound.
Camel spiders & urban legends. These desert arachnids are the subject of an active urban legend among Iraq War service personnel.
Centipedes are medium to large arthropods with many pairs of legs, one pair per body segment. Like their spider relatives, centipedes are predators, whereas millipedes, with two legs per segment, are mainly scavengers. Centipedes may bite producing a painful but localized reaction. Centipedes are rarely a problem, however.
Chigger mites are tiny, extremely annoying biting mites. They produce an intensely itchy bite that can drive gardeners from their gardens.
European paper wasp (Polistes dominulus) - this wasp has become a pest in many parts of the US in recent years.
Fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) inflict extremely painful stings with any encounter. Currently, there is a highly invasive species (Solenopsis invicta) making inroads in the southern US and Australia.
Horse & deer flies are large, biting flies. These flies breed in moist areas around ponds, ditches, etc. and can be very persistent and annoying. Their large, dark or multi-color eyes make these flies easy to identify.
Mange is a conditon in dogs, cats and other mammals caused by tiny mites. Sarcoptic mange is closely related to human scabies.
Scabies mites are tiny mites that burrow into the skin causing a condition called scabies.
Scorpions are desert-dwelling arthropods related to spiders and ticks. Some are deadly venomous while others are not particularly dangerous.
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color photos & updated treatment
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Physician's Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance contains excellent color photos and drawings of all the major US insects, spiders and close relatives that can bite and sting. This is an important new updated edition (5th edition; March, 2007). See description below.
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Designed to help clinicians identify various arthropods and to trace the signs and symptoms of vector-borne diseases to their sources, the text also details currently recommended forms of treatment. The entire text has been updated to reflect our increased understanding of the nature and significance of arthropod-mediated health problems. This fifth edition also includes a CD-ROM with identification aids, photographs for identifying lesions, and other helpful hints that can assist with identifying medically important specimens. [Description from Amazon.com]
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Since its first edition, [Medical Entomology for Students] has provided the reader with all the basic information on insects, mites and ticks that affect human health. Arthropod vectors of human diseases, such as malaria and typhus, are a continuing threat to human health. This work covers the identification and biology and ecology of these medically important arthropods and how they can be controlled. The volume is an essential reference for physicians, nurses and community health workers. [Description from Amazon.com]
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