Biters and stingers of the insect ranks

In Edition 62 of Australian Hunter we looked at the treatment for the most renowned biters… snakes. This time we will deal with the more sneaky, but sometimes equally deadly, stinging insects - or anthropods.

Of the anthropods, the classes Hymenoptera and Arachnida are the most common culprits of envenomation in Australia. All stings from anthropods result in at least mild local pain, swelling and redness. This is because the body has a natural and complex ‘border control’ which involves sending an army of cells, via the blood, to fight the invader. The pain is a result of the pressure buildup due to the excess fluid in the area and stimulation of nerve fibres. The swelling and redness occur as the capillaries open up to allow an influx of blood and immune response cells into