Colonies of ants are separated into groups of individuals that have different jobs, such as workers, soldiers, and queens. The workers are all females that take care of the much larger queen and her young, or go out to find food. Winged males mate with queens and die soon after. Queens also have wings, but they break off after mating. Ants are an important prey species for many different reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, birds, and mammals. Longevity can’t be generalized to all ants, but queens usually live for several years and workers for only a few weeks or months
Rodents are gnawing mammals of an order that includes rats, mice, squirrels, hamsters, porcupines, and their relatives, distinguished by strong constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth. This group constitute the largest order of mammals including over 2000 species, which play important ecological roles as food sources and by shaping their environments. While most are herbivores, some are omnivores, and many species are social, living in families or large colonies.
There are more than 110,000 described species of flies in the world. Flies are superb mimics, especially in the Families Bombyliidae (Bee flies), Syrphidae (Flower flies) , and Asilidae (Robber flies). Bee flies are usually fast flying insects with appearances of small bees, while Robber Flies are commonly larger, slower flying, and a few resemble Bumble Bees. A fly known as the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly was designated as an endangered species in 1993 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This species has been found in sandy dunes and rolling terrain of two counties in southern California, and has been the subject of much controversy regarding the protection of some species of animals. Flies are found throughout the world, and exist in areas from the Arctic to the rain forests on the equator.
Mosquito bites can cause skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. But a more serious consequence of some mosquito bites may be transmission of serious diseases and viruses such as malaria, dengue virus, Zika and West Nile virus, which can lead to disabling and potentially deadly effects (such as encephalitis, meningitis and microcephaly). They also can transmit diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heart worms, eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.
The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has long been a pest – feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) all consider bed bugs a public health pest. However, unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease.
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches[3][4][5][6] which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied, unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants";[7] however, they are not ants but highly derived cockroaches.[
Fleas are a type of wingless parasite found worldwide. They feed off the blood of humans and animals such as dogs and cats. Since fleas use a wide range of hosts, diseases can be transferred from one host to another. Fleas are known to transmit tapeworm larvae and, uncommonly, the disease murine typhus. They are most notorious for transmitting bubonic plague from wild rodents to humans in certain parts of the world.
Cockroaches are known to transfer disease pathogens, such as the various bacteria that produce “food poisoning” in humans, by contaminating food, food preparation surfaces, dishes and eating utensils. How many human gastrointestinal disorders are attributed to the mechanical transmission of pathogens by cockroaches has not been fully assessed, but remains a valid health concern. However, the roach’s greatest impact on human health may be its ability to trigger asthma. Cockroach nymphs grow by periodically shedding their “skin” (the exoskeleton). Fragments of their exoskeletons, along with bits of cockroach feces, serve as antigens (foreign protein) that, when inhaled, cause allergic and asthmatic reactions.
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. As of June 2025, 53,034 spider species in 136 families have been recorded by taxonomists.