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The discipline of medical entomology, or public health entomology, and also veterinary entomology is focused upon insects and arthropods that impact human health. Veterinary entomology is included in this category, because many animal diseases can "jump species" and become a human health threat, for example, bovine encephalitis.
One genus of the tangle web spiders has venom which is known to be medically significant. This genus, the widow spiders of genus Latrodectus , has caused human fatalities. The other genus, Steatoda , the false widow spiders, have bites that can cause pain and erythema but only around 30% of bites lead to systemic symptoms.
It is a typical component of modern medical care throughout East Asia and in some parts of Southeast Asia (such as Thailand). Insects are very commonly incorporated as part of the herbal medicine component of traditional Chinese medicine, and their medical properties and applications are broadly accepted and agreed upon. Some brief examples follow:
Researchers in China recently discovered two new species of venomous spiders that could be of interest to the medical community. ... spiders have venom that is regarded as “medically significant ...
Medically significant spider bites involve substantial envenomation from only certain species such as widow spiders and recluse spiders. Symptoms of latrodectism (from widow spiders) may include pain at the bite or involve the chest and abdomen, sweating, muscle cramps and vomiting among others.
Medically significant spider venoms include various combinations and concentrations of necrotic agents, neurotoxins, and pharmacologically active compounds such as serotonin. Worldwide only two spider venoms have impact on humans—those of the widow and recluse spiders.
Because the definition of "venomous" can be extremely broad, this list includes only those animals with venom that is known or suspected to be medically significant for humans or domestic animals. Invertebrates
A neuron (green and white) in an insect brain (blue) Insect cognition describes the mental capacities and study of those capacities in insects. The field developed from comparative psychology where early studies focused more on animal behavior. [1] Researchers have examined insect cognition in bees, fruit flies, and wasps. [2] [3]