Insects

Pests, plagues, pleurites, and pébrine: The history of invertebrate pathology from antiquity to 1900

“…Although the main focus was to remain orientated toward pathogens of relevance to pest control, 72,73 behind the scenes modest attempts were being made to understand how invertebrates kept for pleasure or commercial purposes might be kept healthy and to elucidate ways in which an understanding of the diseases and pathology of invertebrates might help conserve species rather than control their numbers. 31 Fields in which these advances were made included clinical treatment 60,61,75 –77 ; emergency care 13 ; anesthesiology 14 ; oncology 15,37,38,51 –53 ; hematology 68 ; legislation 22 ; the management of invertebrates in laboratories, 8,78 including the use of species such as scorpions, 20 spiders, 20,74 and leeches 9,69 as tools in medicine; the health of invertebrates in zoos and butterfly houses 18,19,21,56 ; the health of free-living butterflies, such as the North American monarch (milkweed) ( Danaus plexippus ) 1,46,70 ; the microbiota of insects and other invertebrates 61,62 ; host-parasite relations, 65,67,70 including the role of such organisms as Spiroplasma and Wolbachia ; the effects of climate change involving, inter alia , bleaching and death of colonies of corals 63 ; food hygiene, particularly in respect of shellfish and crustaceans; and the use of invertebrates to feed humans and livestock, 12,79 including wild birds. 17 In these and other endeavors, investigative pathology has played a pivotal role.…”

Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrate Welfare

“…Insects are the most numerous group of arthropods. Comprised of approximately one million species, they also are three-quarters of the all the world's animals [12,14,[126][127][128]. Common physical characteristics include a body consisting of three segments, six walking legs, compound eyes, a pair of antennae on the head, and wings on the thorax of adults of most species [14].…”

“…Insects can be found in almost every ecological niche available on land and in freshwater environments, but few in marine environments [14,126]. Their ubiquity relies on many factors, primarily among which are resistance to desiccation and holometabolous development.…”

“…In general, insects have a poor tolerance (i.e., rapidly die) for inadequate or improper environmental conditions, so husbandry standards typically need to be precise [129]. Many species are evolved to occupy specific ecological niches and are highly susceptible to changes [126]. However, the detailed needs for most species are not known, necessitating extrapolation from similar/related species and systematic evaluation [126].…”

Development and Evaluation of a Serum Transfusion Process in the Thorny Devil Stick Insect (Eurycantha calcarata)

“…This species is sexually dimorphic with females having a larger abdomen and males having larger spikes on the hindlimbs. Similar to many insects, Eurycantha calcarata are vulnerable to a range of health concerns including environmental diseases, infectious diseases, and neoplasia ( 2 – 5 ). Furthermore, as captive populations of invertebrates, including the thorny devil stick insect, increase, interest in and advancement of their medical care has grown ( 4 ).…”