# Lists of Pests of Significant Public Health Importance – Revised 2023/Arthropod Pests

Arthropod Pests :
| Pest | Scientific Name | Public Health Importance/ Possible Clinical Significance |
| ARACHNIDS |||
| Ixodida |||
| Soft Ticks | Argasidae | |
| Relapsing fever ticks (and allied species) | Ornithodoros turicata | Tick-borne relapsing fever |
| Relapsing fever ticks (and allied species) | Ornithodoros hermsi | Tick-borne relapsing fever |
| Relapsing fever ticks (and allied species) | Ornithodoros parkeri | Tick-borne relapsing fever |
| Hard Ticks | Ixodidae | |
| American dog tick | Dermacentor variabilis | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, tick paralysis, |
| Rocky Mountain wood tick | Dermacentor andersoni | Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, tick paralysis, |
| Pacific Coast tick | Dermacentor occidentalis | Pacific Coast tick fever |
| Western blacklegged tick | Ixodes pacificus | Anaplasmosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Lyme disease |
| Blacklegged tick (deer tick) | Ixodes scapularis | Anaplasmosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Powassan encephalitis |
| Brown dog tick | Rhipicephalus sanguineus | Rocky Mountain spotted fever |
| Lone star tick | Amblyomma americanum | Ehrlichiosis, Bourbon virus disease, Heartland virus disease, Alpha-gal syndrome (red meat allergy) |
| Gulf Coast tick | Amblyomma maculatum | Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis |
| Trombidiformes |||
| Chigger mites | Trombiculidae | |
| Common chiggers | Eutrombicula spp. | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection |
| Follicle mites | Demodicidae | |
| Dog follicle mite | Demodex canis | Scabies |
| Human follicle mites | Demodex brevis | Roseacea, Demodicosis, Demodicidosis, eye infections |
| Human follicle mites | Demodex folliculorum | Roseacea, Demodicosis, Demodicidosis, eye infections |
| Sarcoptiformes |||
| Dust mites | Pyroglyphidae | |
| American house dust mite | Dermatophagoides farina | Allergic reaction, Asthma |
| European house dust mite | Chorioptes pteronyssinus | Allergic reaction, Asthma |
| Itch mites | Sarcopidae | |
| Scabies mite | Sarcoptes scabiei | Scabies ​ |
| Araneae |||
| Spiders |||
| Widow spiders, including: Southern black widow Northern black widow Western black widow Brown widow | Latrodectus mactans Latrodectus variolus Latrodectus hesperus Latrodectus geometricus | Venomous bite |
| Recluse spiders, including: Brown recluse | Loxosceles reclusa | Venomous bite |
| Scorpiones |||
| Scorpions |||
| Bark scorpions | Centruroides sculpturatus | Venomous sting |
| Bark scorpions | Centruroides exilicauda | Venomous sting |
| Bark scorpions | Centruroides vittatus | Venomous sting |
| Chilopoda |||
| Centipedes |||
| House centipede | Scutigera coleoptrata | Venomous bite |
| Florida blue centipede | Hemiscolopendra marginata | Venomous bite |
| Scolopendra centipedes | Scolopendra spp. | Venomous bite |
| INSECTS |||
| Blattodea |||
| Cockroaches |||
| American cockroach | Periplaneta americana | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Australian cockroach | Periplaneta australasiae | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Brown cockroach | Periplaneta brunnea | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Smokybrown cockroach | Periplaneta fuliginosa | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Brownbanded cockroach | Supella longipalpa | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| German cockroach | Blattella germanica | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Oriental cockroach | Blatta orientalis | Allergic reaction, asthma, Salmonellosis, E. coli infection, hepatitis |
| Anoplura |||
| Sucking lice |||
| Body louse (cootie) | Pediculus humanus humanus | Epidemic typhus, epidemic relapsing fever, Trench fever, dermatitis with risk of secondary infection |
| Head louse | Pediculus humanus capitis | Epidemic typhus, epidemic relapsing fever, Trench fever, dermatitis with risk of secondary infection |
| Crab louse (crabs) | Phithirus pubis ​ | Epidemic typhus, epidemic relapsing fever, Trench fever, dermatitis with risk of secondary infection |
| Heteroptera |||
| True bugs |||
| Bed bug | Cimex lectularis | Bites, allergic reactions |
| Tropical bed bug | Cimex hemipterus | Bites, allergic reactions |
| Masked hunter | Reduvius personatus | Chagas disease, allergic reactions |
| Large kissing bug | Triatoma rubrofasciata | Chagas disease, allergic reactions |
| Bloodsucking conenose | Triatoma sanguisuga | Chagas disease, allergic reactions |
| Western bloodsucking conenose | Triatoma protracta | Chagas disease, allergic reactions |
| Diptera |||
| Horse & Deer Flies |||
| Horse flies | Tabanus spp. | Painful Bite, allergic reactions, mechanical transmission of anthrax |
| Deer flies | Chrysops spp. | Painful Bite, allergic reactions, Tularemia |
| Calyptrate Flies |||
| House fly | Musca domestica | Salmonellosis, Shigella, dysentery, myiasis, allergic reactions |
| Stable fly | Stomoxys calcitrans | Salmonellosis, Shigella, dysentery, myiasis, allergic reactions |
| Little house fly | Fannia canicularis | Salmonellosis, Shigella, dysentery, myiasis, allergic reactions |
| Horse bot fly | Gasterophilus intestinalis | Ocular myiasis, cutaneous myiasis |
| Nose bot fly | Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis | Ocular myiasis, cutaneous myiasis |
| Torsalo (human bot fly) | Dermatobia hominus | Ocular myiasis, cutaneous myiasis |
| Sheep ked | Melophagus ovinus | Myiasis |
| Flesh flies | Sarcophagidae, including Sarcophaga and Wohlfahrtia spp. | Myiasis, mechanical vector of pathogens |
| Blow flies | Calliphoridae, including Phaenicia and Calliphora spp. | Myiasis, mechanical vector of pathogens |
| Screwworm | Cochliomyia hominivorax | Myiasis |
| Secondary screwworm | Cochliomyia macellaria ​ | Myiasis |
| Biting Midges and Sand Flies |||
| “No-See-Ums” | Culicoides spp., Leptoconops spp. | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions |
| Punkies | Culicoides spp., Leptoconops spp. | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions |
| Biting midges | Culicoides spp., Leptoconops spp. | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions |
| Sand flies | Lutzomyia spp., Phlebotomis spp. | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, American dermal leishmaniasis |
| Black flies | Simuliidae; includes Simulium and Prosimulium spp. | River blindness, dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, painful bite, allergic reactions |
| Black gnats | Simuliidae; includes Simulium and Prosimulium spp. | River blindness, dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, painful bite, allergic reactions |
| MosquitoesCulicidae |||
| Mosquito species that vector disease | Aedes spp. Culex spp. Culiseta spp. Ochlerotatus spp. Anopheles spp. Psorophora spp. Coquillettidia spp. Mansonia spp. | Viral diseases, such as: West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, LaCrosse, Jamestown Canyon, Cache Vally virus disease, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Malaria, Zika, Chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis (note: not all diseases are vectored by every genera) |
| Siphonaptera |||
| Fleas |||
| Cat flea | Ctenocephalides felis | Bartonella, Murine typhus, tapeworm infection, dermatitis with a risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Dog flea | Ctenocephalides canis | Bartonella, Murine typhus, tapeworm infection, dermatitis with a risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Human flea | Pulex irritans | Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Sticktight flea | Echidnophaga gallinacea | Bubonic plague, Murine plague (endemic typhus), Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Oriental rat flea | Xenopsylla cheopis | Bubonic plague, Murine plague (endemic typhus), Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Chigoe | Tunga penetrans | Bubonic plague, Murine plague (endemic typhus), Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Other fleas | Oropsylla sp. Thrassis spp. Ceratophyllus gallinae ​ | Bubonic plague, Murine plague (endemic typhus), Dermatitis with risk of secondary infection, allergic reactions, painful bite |
| Hymenoptera |||
| Stinging Wasps, Bees, & Ants |||
| Yellowjackets | Vespula spp. | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| European hornet | Vespa crabro | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| Bald-faced hornet | Dolichovespula maculata | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| Paper wasps | Polistes spp. | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| Thread-waisted wasps (including mud daubers) | Sphecidae: Various species | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| AntsFormicidae |||
| Pharaoh ant | Monomorium pharaonis | Feed on wounds |
| Fire ants, including: Southern fire ant Tropical fire ant Red imported fire ant Black imported fire ant European fire ant | Solenopsis spp. Solenopsis xyloni Solenopsis geminata Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri Myrmica rubra | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| Harvester ants | Pogonomyrmex spp. | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
| Bees | Apidae | |
| Africanized honey bee | Apis mellifera scutellata | Painful stings, allergic reactions |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).
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