Terry L. Biery

“ Conenose bugs are nocturnal insects. They take their blood meals at night and hide in any available crack or crevice between feedings. Triatoma, as a group, normally feed on small mammals; but in the absence of their preferred hosts, several species will readily feed on humans. They are commonly referred to as “kissing bugs” because their blood meals are occasionally taken from the area around the human lips. Some of the common sites of human attack, in order of frequency, are the hands, arms, feet, head, and trunk. ”

“ The puss caterpillar is the larva of a lepidopterous group commonly referred to as “flannel moths.” In some parts of the United States the larva is incorrectly referred to as an “asp.” When fully mature, the larvae are near white to dark gray in color, 2 to 3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) long, and completely covered dorsolaterally with hairs that cause them to resemble elongate tufts of cotton. Some of the hairs are venomous, and when they penetrate the skin a “toxin” passes from an underlying gland through the hairs at the points of contact. ”

“ Most arthropod envenomizations occur during the warm plant-growing season when venomous arthropods are most numerous. Since the Southern United States has the longest growing season, venomous arthropods are abundant for a longer period of time in this region. Also, the moderate climate of the Southern States, with fewer weather extremes, permits a greater variety of venomous arthropods to survive, propagate, and produce multiple generations each year. ”

“ Female velvet ants, wingless and antlike in appearance, are actually wasps that only resemble ants. The males are winged and usually larger than the females. Both male and female are covered with a velvety pubescence which is normally bright red, orange, or yellow. The female has a formidable stinger at the posterior end of her abdomen which she can use to inflict a painful envenomization. The length of a mature mutillid wasp varies from 1 to 2.5 cm (0.4-1 in) . In some localities, mutillids are commonly referred to as cow killers, mule killers, or wooly ants. ”

“ Bringing the arthropod causing an envenomization to the medical facility treating the victim is most helpful. In most cases, an identification must be made before the proper form of treatment can be determined. To assist personnel with identification, the key characteristics and representative color photographs are provided for the venomous arthropods discussed. ”

“ Since these insects are not native to this continent, north of Mexico, all original honey bee colonies in the United States were imported. Apis mellifera, the cosmopolitan bee of commerce, is responsible for most bee stings and many 18 deaths.10 This species is separated into several races, with the gold Italian and the black or gray Caucasian races making up the majority of the bees found in this country.5 The aggressive Brazilian (hybrid African) bee is currently restricted to the South American continent. Honey bees are highly social insects. ”

“ Throughout the day, centipedes hide under rocks, boards, or bark and in cracks, crevices, closets, basements, and other moist, protected locations. At night, they come out of hiding to hunt for prey which usually consists of insects and other small arthropods. 9 Centipedes inject venom through two powerful claws located on the ventral side of the body immediately behind the head. Contrary to popular belief, centipedes cannot inject venom through their numerous legs. The majority of centipedes found in the United States are small and not a threat to man. ”

“ Don’t wear clothing with a bright floral print or loose-fitting clothing in which stinging insects may be trapped.
5 Don’t make rapid movements around stinging insects or intentionally disturb either the insects or their nests.
6 Eliminate all Hymenoptera nests around inhabited areas (wild honey bee colonies may be removed by a local beekeeper) . When necessary, an insecticide such as 5% carbaryl dust may be applied in a nesting area within a building to eliminate the nuisance colony.
7 Educate young children on the hazards of venomous arthropods. ”

“ Female velvet ants are solitary, diurnal, parasitic wasps. An efficient stinging apparatus and an extremely thick exoskeleton allow the female mutillid to conspicuously, yet safely, run about in the open searching for a suitable place to lay her eggs. Most cases of human envenomization occur when the female wasp is accidentally touched while roaming about on the ground or is trapped against the body in clothing or bedding. ”

“ The bumble bees are considered to be the most primitive of the social bees. Their colonies lack much of the structure and highly evolved behavior of the honey bees; however, like the honey bees, the bumble bees are diurnal plant feeders and important pollinators of crops. A typical colony consists of at least one queen, several males, and numerous workers. Only young fertilized queens survive the winter to establish new colonies the next spring. ”

“ Hence, the name “conenose bugs” is often used to describe these insects. Orange and black markings are usually present where the abdomen extends laterally past the folded wings. These insects are flattened dorsally, and this trait allows them to effectively hide in small cracks and crevices. The size of mature adults varies from approximately 1 to 3 cm (0.4-1.2 in) depending upon the species.
Distribution. Triatoma species that attack humans are generally located in the southern half of the United States. ”

“ The solitary and roaming nature of velvet ants makes it very difficult to predict or designate ways to avoid contacting them. In areas like the beaches of Lake Erie where mutillids are known to frequent, however, potential victims should be made aware of the velvet ant hazard and how to avoid accidental envenomization. Since mutillids are not gregarious and do not congregate in accessible places, chemical control is not feasible. ”

“ Wheel bugs are generally found in the southern two-thirds of the United States.
Biology/Behavior. Wheel bugs are predacious on soft-bodied insects. Human envenomizations are usually the result of accidental contact while handling vegetation, boards, or other objects. ”

“ They differ in that the urticating arthropods usually release their toxin through venomous hairs; and vesicating arthropods carry a toxic substance within their system, which is released through small body openings. ”

“ The black widow is generally found in its irregular-shaped web near the ground. Common web sites are under stones, loose bark, or water faucets or in wood piles, rodent burrows, garages, storage buildings, outhouses, and barns. Most human envenomizations occur when the spider is inadvertently trapped against part of the body or when the web is accidentally touched.
Avoidance/Control. Frequent cleaning to remove spiders and their webs from buildings and outdoor living areas will decrease the possibility of accidental bites. ”

“ Since small children are often the victims of multiple stings, parents should insure that the mounds of dangerous ant species are not present in play areas. This is particularly important where the red imported fire ant occurs. Mound treatments with mirex have been effective in controlling Solenopsis and Pogonomyrmex ants. The Environmental Protection Agency limits the use of this insecticide, and it must be applied in strict accordance with EPA and product label instructions.
Envenomization Reaction/Treatment. (See appendix.)
17 2. BEES
(Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Apidae)
Identification. ”

“ Wasp stingers do not become detached, and a single wasp can sting a victim several times before retreating. Social wasps are particularly 26 dangerous because a disturbance of their nest may result in attack by numerous wasps. ”

“ In a few days the eggs hatch into larvae, which develop by feeding on the leaves of a wide range of trees and shrubs. The natural enemies of the puss caterpillar usually keep its numbers under control ”

“ Children should be instructed not to handle it. Wearing leather gloves while working outside will prevent bites which occur when the wheel bug is accidentally picked up with vegetation or other debris. Since wheel bugs are predacious on many harmful insects and are generally considered beneficial, control is not recommended. ”

“ Program for desensitization
46 SCORPIONS REACTIONS
IMMEDIATE: Severe sharp pain
LOCAL:
1. Dangerous neurotoxic species—Pins-and-needles sensation with no local swelling or discoloration (found in Arizona only) 2. Comparatively harmless species (not neurotoxic) —Local swelling and discoloration at sting site
SYSTEMIC (neurotoxic species only—within 1-3 hours) :
1. Hypoesthesia and numbness or drowsiness 2. Itching of nose and throat 3. Impaired speech and tightness of jaw muscles 4. Restlessness and muscle twitching 5. Muscle spasms with pain, nausea, vomiting, incontinence, convulsions 6. ”

“ Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa) 6 3. Centipedes (Class: Chilopoda) 8 4. Conenose or Kissing Bugs (Triatoma spp.) 10 5. Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) 12 STINGING ARTHROPODS 14 1. Ants (Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Formicidae) 14 2. Bees (Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Apidae) 17 3. Scorpions (Class: Arachnida; Order: Scorpionida) 20 4. Velvet Ants (Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Mutillidae) 22 5. Wasps (Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Vespidae) 24 URTICATING/VESICATING ARTHROPODS 26 1. Blister Beetles (Order: Coleoptera; Family: Meloidae) 26 2. Urticating Caterpillars 28 a. ”

“ Infections and bites: Parasites, arthropods and animals, Section 18. In D.J. Demis et al. (eds.) . Clinical dermatology, vol. 4. Hagerstown, Md.: Harper & Row, 1974.
10. James, M.T., and R.F. Harwood. Herm’s medical entomology, 6th ed. London: Collier-MacMillan, 1970.
11. Lyon, J.B. Insect bites and stings. Practitioner 200: 670-677 (1968) .
12. Micks, D.W. Insects and other arthropods of medical importance in Texas. Tex Rep Biol Med 18:624-635 (1960)
13. Millikan, L.E., and R.S. Berger. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of arthropod bites. CRC Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 5:201-225 (1974) . ”