Aquatic and Land Animal DiversityAquatic and Land Arthropods |
What arthropods can affect humans (in the United States)? |
Many arthropods can affect humans, especially in terms of unhealthy bites, itches, scratches, diseases, and allergies. The following lists only a few of these creatures that live in various spots in the United States:
Arthropod |
Effect on Human Health |
Black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) |
Venomous bite; most in South |
Brown recluse or violin spider (Loxosceles reclusa) |
Venomous bite |
Scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda) |
Venomous bite; most in South and Western states |
Chiggers (Trombiculid mites) |
Dermatitis; most in South |
Itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) |
Scabies |
Deer tick (Ixodes dammini) |
Bite can transmit lyme disease |
Dog tick, wood tick (Dermacentor species) |
Bite can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever in some places in the U.S. |
Mosquitoes |
Bite can transmit diseases (for example, West Nile virus, encephalitis, filarial worms) |
Horseflies, deerflies |
Female has painful bite |
Houseflies |
Many transmit bacteria and viruses |
Fleas |
Dermatitis |
Bees, wasps, ants |
Venomous stings (single stings not dangerous unless person is allergic) |