Field Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates ...

Surveillance of Medically Important Vectors and Pests (―Operational Entomology‖). Additional
information and instruction on personal protection from arthropods can be found on the website
of the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (www.afpmb.org).
Dangerous Invertebrates of Military Importance
Appendix 1 contains a list of the dangerous invertebrates of military importance including their
geographic distributions.
Arachnids
(Spiders, Scorpions, Ticks, Mites, Camel Spiders)
Envenomation by arachnids causes significant medical illness worldwide. Among the most
important groups of spiders are the widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.), recluse spiders (Loxosceles
spp.), the Australian funnel web spiders (Atrax and Hadronyche spp.) and the wandering or
banana spiders (Phoneutria spp.) of Brazil. Scorpions are widely distributed worldwide, but
only a few species primarily distributed in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America can inflict
fatal stings. However, scorpion stings represent the most important source of arachnid
envenomation in many of these areas occasionally causing morbidity among adults and death
among children. Ticks and mites are notorious vectors of serious human disease and irritation.
Finally, some arachnids such as camel spiders may be harmless if left alone, but their appearance
can cause psychological distress among people.
Spiders