The following symptoms and complaints may indicate an insect bite:Local reactions.
- Painful redness
- Swelling (< 10 cm in diameter), which usually already recedes significantly after one day
Increased local reactions (about 2.4-26.4% of the population).
- Painful redness
- ≥ 24-hour swelling (> 10 cm in diameter) [severe local reaction].
- If applicable, lymphangitis (lymphangitis).
- Mild general complaints
Systemic reactions
- Rhabdomyolysis – dissolution of skeletal muscle.
- Hemolysis – destruction of red blood cells.
- Cerebral damage, unspecified
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
Anaphylaxis (most severe form of allergic reaction).
Symptomatology usually begins after 10-30 minutes.
Severity scale for the classification of anaphylactic reactions according to Ring and Messmer.
Grade | Skin | Gastrointestinal tract(gastrointestinal tract) | Respiratory tract(respiratory organs) | Cardiovascular system |
I |
|
– | – | – |
II |
|
|
|
|
III |
|
|
|
|
IV |
|
|
|
|
Pain from insect bites (insects in descending order below):
- Tropical giant ant (Paraponera clavata; English “bullet ant”); Occurrence: South America
- Female tarantula wasp (Pepsis formosa); Occurrence: Southern United States and the Caribbean to northern and central Peru and Guyana and French Guyana.
- Paper wasps of the genus Synoeca (English “warrior wasp”); Occurrence: Tropics and subtropics of North and South America.
- Ant wasp (Dasymutilla klugii; English “cow killer”); Occurrence North America.
- Group of large paper wasps, which are attributed to the subgenus Megapolistes.
- Canadian wasp (Polistes canadensis).
- Florida harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex badius); Occurrence: Southeastern U.S. (area between the Mississippi River and North Carolina).