Insect Bites: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

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
  • Pruritus (itching)
  • Flush (redness occurring in fits and starts).
  • Urticaria (hives)
  • Angioedema (bulging elastic swellings (eg, in the facial area: lip, cheeks, forehead) that appear suddenly and disfigure the appearance).
II
  • Pruritus
  • Flush
  • Urticaria
  • Angioedema
  • Nausea (sickness)
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Vomiting
  • Rhinorrhea (runny nose)
  • Hoarseness
  • Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
  • Tachycardia(heartbeat too fast: > 100 beats per minute):increase ≥ 20/min.
  • Hypotension(low blood pressure):fall ≥ 20 mmHg.
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
III
  • Pruritus
  • Flush
  • Urticaria
  • Angioedema
  • Vomit
  • Defecation (bowel movement)
  • Laryngeal edema (swelling of the larynx).
  • Bronchospasm (tightening of the bronchi).
  • Cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin)
  • Shock
IV
  • Pruritus
  • Flush
  • Urticaria,
  • Angioedema
  • Vomit
  • Defecation (bowel movement)
  • Respiratory arrest
  • Circulatory arrest

Pain from insect bites (insects in descending order below):

  1. Tropical giant ant (Paraponera clavata; English “bullet ant”); Occurrence: South America
  2. Female tarantula wasp (Pepsis formosa); Occurrence: Southern United States and the Caribbean to northern and central Peru and Guyana and French Guyana.
  3. Paper wasps of the genus Synoeca (English “warrior wasp”); Occurrence: Tropics and subtropics of North and South America.
  4. Ant wasp (Dasymutilla klugii; English “cow killer”); Occurrence North America.
  5. Group of large paper wasps, which are attributed to the subgenus Megapolistes.
  6. Canadian wasp (Polistes canadensis).
  7. Florida harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex badius); Occurrence: Southeastern U.S. (area between the Mississippi River and North Carolina).