Arthropods

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class Class Class

Crustacea Arachnida Insecta
Characteristics of
Arthropods
 1. EXOSKELETON
• In most arthropods the body is covered
with chitinous cuticle that is hardened into
an exoskeleton. Once the cuticle is
hardened it can not increase in size. Some
regions of the cuticle remain unhardened
to allow flexibility and movement.
 2.METAMERISM
• Body composed of numerous
segments, segmented condition may
be concealed. In the primitive
Arthropod, the body was thought to
be a series of metameres, each,
except for the first and last, with a
pair of appendages.
 3. JOINTED APPENDAGES
• Jointed appendages give arthropods
numerous specialized organs for
walking, grasping, and eating.
4. VENTRAL NERVE CORD
• Ventral nerve cord with ganglia at
each segment. Only the brain (most
anterior) ganglia is above the
digestive system.
 5. OPEN CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM
• A dorsal (upper) vessel directs blood
forward toward the brain. 
6.DIGESTIVE AND EXCRETORY
SYSTEMS
8. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• IS DIFFERENT: GILLS IN AQUATIC
FORMS AND TRACHEAE IN
TERRESTIAL FORMS
 7. SEXUAL
REPRODUCTION

• However, some insects are parthenogenic,

females produce offspring without mating.
 Complete and incomplete
metamorphosis
Egg Egg

Larva

Larva
Pupa

Adult

Adult
 Medical importance of
Arthropods
• Intermediate hosts for some human
parasites
• Venomous animals
• Human permanent or temporary
parasites
• Vectors of human infections
• Cause of allergy
 Phylum
Arthropoda

Class Class Class

Crustacea Arachnida Insecta
 CLASS CRUSTACEA
Shrimps, lobsters, and crabs
(derivation: crust = hard, shell-
like; 26,000 known species).
• Two pairs of antennae
• Two body regions (head and thorax
combined into the cephalothorax)
• One pair of appendages per body
segment. Appendages terminate in
pinchers.
• Primarily an aquatic group, respiration is
by gills even in terrestrial species.
 Fresh-water crabs are
intermediate hosts for
Paragonimus westermani
 Cyclops are intermediate hosts for
Diphylobothrium latum and
Dracunculus medinensis

wat
 CLASS ARACHNIDA.
Spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions,
derivation: arachne=spider;
57,000 known species).
• No antennae
• Presence of chelicerae, appendages just
above/in front of the mouth.
• Most with a cephalothorax and abdomen.
Some with a single body region.
• Most are terrestrial
• Most are predacious.
 Arachnids
Scorpions
Ticks and
mites
Spiders
 Order Scorpions

There are about 2,000 species of

scorpions, found widely distributed
south of about 49° N, except New
Zealand and Antarctica.
 Scorpion

 
The body of a
scorpion is divided
into two parts: the
cephalothorax
(also called the
prosoma) and the
                         

abdomen
           
(opisthosoma).
• Unlike the majority of arachnid
species, scorpions are viviparous.
The young are born one by one, and
the brood is carried about on its
mother's back until the young have
undergone at least one moult.
 The venom of
scorpions
• All known Scorpion species possess poison
or venom. Scorpions use their venom to kill
or paralyze their prey so that it can be
eaten; in general it is fast-acting, allowing
for effective prey capture.
• Scorpions rarely aggressively attack
humans, but will often reflexively strike
when they are handled, stepped on in bare
feet, or accidentally crushed in clothing.
• Scorpions produce two types of
venom:
• Hemolytic - induces burning, swelling
and necrosis at the wound site.
• Neurotoxic – produces intense pain at
the site of the sting and causes chills,
excessive salivation, vomiting and
sometimes respiratory paralysis
 Initial treatment
• Application of ice to the wound site
• Tourniquet above the wound
• Specific antiserum

• Prevention: elimination of rubbish

piles – favored hiding and breeding
places of scorpions.
Order Araneida
(spiders)
 Venomous spiders

Latrodectus is a genus that contains

approximately 31 recognized
species of venomous spider. The
common name widow spiders is
often used to refer to members of
the genus. The Black Widow spiders
are well known members of the
genus. The female black widow's
venom is particularly harmful to
humans (males almost never bite
humans).
The genus Latrodectus includes the widely
known black widows, notorious because
of the extreme potency of their venom.
 L. tredecimguttatus female

                               
A Black Widow spider with her egg
sacs. Taken in Mexico.
The black widow bite. Bites
are initially painless
• The venom acts at nerve endings to
prevent relaxation of muscles, causing
tetany — constant, strong, painful muscle
contractions. Thus initial pain is often
followed by severe muscle cramps.
Contraction of musculature may extend
throughout the body, though cramping in
the abdomen is frequently the most
severe.
• Standard treatments usually involve
symptomatic therapy with pain
medication, muscle relaxants, and
antivenom.
 While no fatalities have been attributed to
tarantula bites, sometimes spider bites are
regarded as the probable source of infections.

Tarantula
Gallery
 Order Acarina
(ticks and mites)
 Acarina or Acari are an order of
arachnids that contains mites and ticks.
The diversity of the Acari is extraordinary.
Most acarines are minute to small (e.g. 0.08–
1.0 mm), but the largest Acari (some ticks and
red velvet mites) may reach lengths of 10–
20 mm.
It is estimated that over 50,000 species have
been described and that a million or more
species are currently living.
Life-cycle: egglarvanymph adult.
Larva has six legs, nymph and mature
tick have eight legs
• Ticks are ectoparasites, living by
hematophagy on the blood of
mammals, birds, and
occasionally reptiles and
amphibians. Ticks are important
vectors of a number of diseases,
including Lyme disease and Tick-
borne meningoencephalitis.
Family Ixodidae
Hard ticks – possess a
scutum - tough leather-
like integument, that
covers most of their
body.
She and he
A tick (female) sucks blood
After that she becomes 200
times larger
Some examples of Ixodidae
family
• Lone star ticks (Amblyomma
americanum) have been linked to
transmission of ehrlichiosis,
tularemia, and southern tick-
associated rash illness (STARI). The
saliva of these ticks is irritating, and
can cause an allergic reaction at the
site of the bite
• Blacklegged (or deer) ticks
(Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes
pacificus) can transmit several tick-
borne diseases including
anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Lyme
disease. An adult tick is pictured at
left, though it is the smaller nymphal
stage ticks which most commonly
bite humans.
• American dog tick (Dermacentor
variabilis) as well as the Rocky
Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor
andersoni) can transmit many
diseases including Rocky Mountain
spotted fever and tularemia.
Soft ticks. Family
Argasidae
Family Argasidae. Ornithodorus
spp.
Family trombiculidae
Diseases transmitted by Arachnids
(some examples)
Arachnida Disease
(vector)
Ixodes Viral encephalitis, Lyme
disease, Japanese spotted fever
Dermacentor Tularemia, Q-fever, Rocky
Mountain spotted fever,
Colorado tick fever
Ornithodorus Relapsing fever
Trombiculidae Tsutsugamushi disease
Prevention against ticks
Mites – intracutaneous
parasites
• Sarcoptes scabiei is a mite which
burrows into human skin and causes
scabies.
• The disease produces intense, itchy skin
rashes when the impregnated female
tunnels into the stratum corneum of the
skin and deposits eggs in the burrow.
The larvae, which hatch in 3–10 days,
moult into a nymphs, and then mature
into adult mites. They live 3–4 weeks.
0.5 mm
In the skin
An itch mite’s passage
Demodex folliculorum
The Follicle (or Eyelash) Mite

Demodex folliculorum is host-

specific obligate ectoparasite living
respectively in the niche
environments of hair follicles and
sebaceous glands around the face
and head. Generally their presence
goes totally unnoticed but in some
cases heavy infestations are
believed to be the cause of certain
forms of hair loss and such skin
complaints as 'acne rosacea'.
                 
Demodex folliculorum
Demodecosis
Tiny invisible acari – dust
mites – can cause allergy
Dust mites on a bedsheet

WHO DID YOU SLEEP WITH LAST NIGHT??

 MEDICAL IMPORTANCE OF
ARACHNIDS:
• Venomous animals (spiders and
scorpions)
• Intracutaneous parasites (Sarcoptes
scabiei and Demodex folliculorum)
• Ectoparasites and vectors for
diseases – (blood-sucking ticks)
• Cause of allergy (dust mites)
 CLASS INSECTA Insects
(derivation: in=into, sect=cut;
750,000 known species)
• Single pair of antenna
• Three body regions (head, thorax, and
abdomen)
• Three pairs of legs (adult insect), one on
each segment of thorax
• Most adult insects with wings

role of insects will be the

subject of our next lecture
The end