1. KEY CONCEPT Arthropods and humans interact in many ways.

2. Arthropods and humans share many of the same resources.
Many arthropods are herbivores that eat plants humans also depend on.
Arthropods cause millions of dollars of crop damage.
Insecticides have unwanted side effects.

3. Scientists have developed safer insecticide alternatives.
arthropod-specific insecticides
integrated pest management (IPM)
genetically modified crops

4. Some arthropods can spread human diseases.
Vectors are organisms that carry disease from one host to another.

5. Disease spread by arthropods have serious effects on human populations.
Bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium carried by fleas.
Yellow fever is caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes.
Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite carried by mosquitoes.
West Nile virus is caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes.