Abstract
Over a two-year period in Arizona, there were 237 reported cases of people stung by ants. Most of these cases were caused by harvester ants and native fire ants, which pose a significant health risk to a small percentage of the population who are allergic to their sting. We report a case of anaphylaxis in Tucson caused by a sting of Pogonomyrmex rugosus. In addition, due to the severity of their sting, harvester ants can also become a nuisance pest when they infest urban environments. A field survey and a phone survey of pest control companies in Tucson demonstrated the prevalence of harvester ants in residential areas. Increasing urbanization in the habitat of Pogonomyrmex species will lead to increasing numbers of serious reactions to their stings.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 543-551 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Sociobiology |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - 2005 |
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Keywords
- Allergic reaction
- Anaphylaxis
- Harvester ants
- Pogonomyrmex
- Stings
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Insect Science
- Animal Science and Zoology
Cite this
Consequences of harvester ant incursion into urbanized areas : A case history of sting anaphylaxis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). / Klotz, John H.; Schmidt, Justin O.; Pinnas, Jacob L.; Klotz, Stephen A.
In: Sociobiology, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2005, p. 543-551.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Consequences of harvester ant incursion into urbanized areas
T2 - A case history of sting anaphylaxis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
AU - Klotz, John H.
AU - Schmidt, Justin O.
AU - Pinnas, Jacob L.
AU - Klotz, Stephen A
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Over a two-year period in Arizona, there were 237 reported cases of people stung by ants. Most of these cases were caused by harvester ants and native fire ants, which pose a significant health risk to a small percentage of the population who are allergic to their sting. We report a case of anaphylaxis in Tucson caused by a sting of Pogonomyrmex rugosus. In addition, due to the severity of their sting, harvester ants can also become a nuisance pest when they infest urban environments. A field survey and a phone survey of pest control companies in Tucson demonstrated the prevalence of harvester ants in residential areas. Increasing urbanization in the habitat of Pogonomyrmex species will lead to increasing numbers of serious reactions to their stings.
AB - Over a two-year period in Arizona, there were 237 reported cases of people stung by ants. Most of these cases were caused by harvester ants and native fire ants, which pose a significant health risk to a small percentage of the population who are allergic to their sting. We report a case of anaphylaxis in Tucson caused by a sting of Pogonomyrmex rugosus. In addition, due to the severity of their sting, harvester ants can also become a nuisance pest when they infest urban environments. A field survey and a phone survey of pest control companies in Tucson demonstrated the prevalence of harvester ants in residential areas. Increasing urbanization in the habitat of Pogonomyrmex species will lead to increasing numbers of serious reactions to their stings.
KW - Allergic reaction
KW - Anaphylaxis
KW - Harvester ants
KW - Pogonomyrmex
KW - Stings
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=18944375223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=18944375223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:18944375223
VL - 45
SP - 543
EP - 551
JO - Sociobiology
JF - Sociobiology
SN - 0361-6525
IS - 3
ER -