Editing Chelicerata (section)

==Interaction with humans==
[[Image:Yellow mite (Tydeidae) Lorryia formosa 2 edit.jpg|thumb|200px|A microscopic mite ''[[Lorryia formosa]]''.]]
In the past, [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]]s ate the flesh of [[horseshoe crabs]], and used the tail spines as spear tips and the shells to bail water out of their canoes. More recent attempts to use horseshoe crabs as food for [[livestock]] were abandoned when it was found that this gave the meat a bad taste. Horseshoe crab blood contains a clotting agent, ''[[limulus amebocyte lysate]]'', which is used to test antibiotics and kidney machines to ensure that they are free of dangerous [[bacteria]], and to detect [[spinal meningitis]] and some [[cancer]]s.<ref>{{citation
| title=Coast
| author=Heard, W.
| url=http://www.marine.usf.edu/pjocean/packets/f01/f01u5p3.pdf
| access-date=2008-08-25
| publisher=University of South Florida
| isbn=978-1-59874-147-6
| year=2008
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219095700/http://www.marine.usf.edu/pjocean/packets/f01/f01u5p3.pdf
| archive-date=2017-02-19
| url-status=dead
}}</ref>

Cooked [[tarantula]] spiders are considered a delicacy in [[Cambodia]],<ref>{{citation
| author=Ray, N. | year=2002 | title=Lonely Planet Cambodia | publisher=Lonely Planet Publications
| isbn=978-1-74059-111-9 | page=308
}}</ref> and by the [[Piaroa]] Indians of southern Venezuela.<ref>{{citation 
 |author=Weil, C. 
 |title=Fierce Food 
 |year=2006 
 |publisher=Plume 
 |isbn=978-0-452-28700-6 
 |url=https://archive.org/details/fiercefoodintrep0000weil 
 |url-status=dead 
 |access-date=2008-10-03 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511192407/http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102400797.html 
 |archive-date=2011-05-11 
 }}</ref> Spider [[venom]]s may be a less polluting alternative to conventional [[pesticide]]s as they are deadly to insects but the great majority are harmless to [[vertebrate]]s.<ref>{{citation
| title=Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides | date=3 May 2004
| publisher=National Science Foundation (USA)
| url=https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100676&org=NSF | access-date=2008-10-11
}}</ref> Possible medical uses for spider venoms are being investigated, for the treatment of [[cardiac arrhythmia]],<ref>{{citation
| author=Novak, K. | title=Spider venom helps hearts keep their rhythm
| journal=Nature Medicine | volume=7 | issue=155 | year=2001
| pmid=11175840 | doi=10.1038/84588
| pages=155
| s2cid=12556102
| doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Alzheimer's disease]],<ref>{{citation
| author1=Lewis, R.J.
| author2=Garcia, M.L.
| title=Therapeutic potential of venom peptides
| journal=Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
| volume=2
| issue=10
| pages=790–802
| date=October 2003
| pmid=14526382
| doi=10.1038/nrd1197
| s2cid=1348177
| doi-access=free
}}</ref> [[stroke]]s,<ref>{{citation
 |author = Bogin, O.
 |title = Venom Peptides and their Mimetics as Potential Drugs
 |journal = Modulator
 |issue = 19
 |date = Spring 2005
 |url = http://www.alomone.com/System/UpLoadFiles/DGallery/Docs/Venom%20Peptides%20and%20their%20Mimetics%20as%20Potential%20Drugs.pdf
 |access-date = 2008-10-11
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081209094652/http://www.alomone.com/System/UpLoadFiles/DGallery/Docs/Venom%20Peptides%20and%20their%20Mimetics%20as%20Potential%20Drugs.pdf
 |archive-date = 2008-12-09
 |url-status = dead
}}</ref> and [[erectile dysfunction]].<ref>{{citation
|author1=Andrade, E. |author2=Villanova, F. |author3=Borra, P. | title=Penile erection induced ''in vivo'' by a purified toxin from the Brazilian spider ''Phoneutria nigriventer''
| journal=British Journal of Urology International | volume=102 | issue=7 | pages=835–837
| doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07762.x
| pmid=18537953
| date= June 2008
|s2cid=24771127 |display-authors=etal| doi-access=free }}</ref>

Because spider silk is both light and very strong, but large-scale harvesting from spiders is impractical, work is being done to produce it in other organisms by means of [[genetic engineering]].<ref name=Futurism>{{cite web |url=https://futurism.com/bacterial-factories-bulletproof-fabric |title=Scientists gene-hacked bacteria to make bullet-proof spider silk |last=Robitzski |first=Dan |website=futurism.com |date=2019-04-02 |access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref> Spider silk proteins have been successfully produced in [[transgenic]] goats' milk,<ref>{{citation
 |author = Hinman, M.B., Jones J.A., and Lewis, R.W.
 |title = Synthetic spider silk: a modular fiber
 |journal = Trends in Biotechnology
 |volume = 18
 |issue = 9
 |date = September 2000
 |pmid = 10942961
 |pages = 374–379
 |doi = 10.1016/S0167-7799(00)01481-5
 |url = http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/sme/FailureCases/Natural_Structures/Synthetic_spider_silk.pdf
 |access-date = 2008-10-19
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081216214633/http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/sme/FailureCases/Natural_Structures/Synthetic_spider_silk.pdf
 |archive-date = 2008-12-16
 |url-status = dead
|citeseerx = 10.1.1.682.313
 }}</ref>
tobacco leaves,<ref>{{citation
|author1=Menassa, R. |author2=Zhu, H. |author3=Karatzas, C.N. |author4=Lazaris, A. |author5=Richman, A. |author6=Brandle, J. |name-list-style=amp | title=Spider dragline silk proteins in transgenic tobacco leaves: accumulation and field production
| journal=Plant Biotechnology Journal | volume=2 | issue=5 | pages=431–438 | date=June 2004
| pmid=17168889
| doi=10.1111/j.1467-7652.2004.00087.x
| doi-access=free }}</ref>
[[silkworm]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kojima |first1=Katsura |last2=Tamada |first2=Yasushi |last3=Nakajima |first3=Ken-ichi |last4=Sezutsu |first4=Hideki |last5=Kuwana |first5=Yoshihiko |title=High-Toughness Silk Produced by a Transgenic Silkworm Expressing Spider (Araneus ventricosus) Dragline Silk Protein |journal=[[PLOS ONE]] |volume=9 |issue=8 |pages=e105325 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0105325 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4146547 |pmid=25162624 |date=2014-08-27 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j5325K |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-08-gene-technique-silkworms-spider-silk.html |title=Gene editing technique allows silkworms to produce spider silk |last=Yirka |first=Bob |website=[[Phys.org]] |date=2018-08-07 |access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref><ref name=kraiglabs>{{cite web |url=https://www.kraiglabs.com/spider-silk/ |title=Spider Silk {{!}} Kraig Biocraft Laboratories |website=[[Kraig Biocraft Laboratories]] |date=13 October 2014 |access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref>
and bacteria,<ref name=Futurism /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-08-scientists-bacteria-biosynthetic-silk-threads.html |title=Engineering scientists use bacteria to create biosynthetic silk threads stronger and more tensile than before |last=Jefferson |first=Brandie |website=phys.org |date=2018-08-21 |access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bacteria-can-be-coaxed-making-toughest-kind-spider-silk |title=Bacteria can be coaxed into making the toughest kind of spider silk |last=Rehm |first=Jeremy |website=[[Science News]] |date=2019-05-01 |access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref> and [[Recombinant DNA|recombinant]] spider silk is now available as a commercial product from some biotechnology companies.<ref name=kraiglabs />

In the 20th century, there were about 100 reliably reported deaths from spider bites,<ref>{{citation
| author=Diaz, J.H.
| title=The Global Epidemiology, Syndromic Classification, Management, and Prevention of Spider Bites
| journal=American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene | volume=71 | issue=2 | date= August 1, 2004 | pages=239–250
| url=http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/2/239 | access-date=2008-10-11
| pmid=15306718
| doi=10.4269/ajtmh.2004.71.2.0700239
| doi-access=free
}}</ref> compared with 1,500 from [[jellyfish]] stings.<ref name="WilliamsonFennerEtAl1996VenomousMarine Animals">{{citation
|author1=Williamson, J.A. |author2=Fenner, P.J. |author3=Burnett, J.W. |author4=Rifkin, J. |name-list-style=amp | title=Venomous and Poisonous Marine Animals: A Medical and Biological Handbook
| publisher=UNSW Press | year=1996 | isbn=978-0-86840-279-6 | pages=65–68
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YsZ3GryFIzEC&q=mollusc+venom+fatal&pg=PA75 | access-date=2008-10-03
}}</ref> Scorpion stings are thought to be a significant danger in less-developed countries; for example, they cause about 1,000 deaths per year in [[Mexico]], but only one every few years in the USA. Most of these incidents are caused by accidental human "invasions" of scorpions' nests.<ref>{{citation
|title=Scorpion Sting |author1=Cheng, D. |author2=Dattaro, J.A. |author3=Yakobi, R. |name-list-style=amp | publisher=WebMD
| url=http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2081.htm | access-date=2008-10-25
}}</ref> On the other hand, medical uses of scorpion venom are being investigated for treatment of brain cancers and bone diseases.<ref>{{citation
| title='Scorpion venom' attacks tumours | work=BBC News
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5214784.stm | access-date=2008-10-25
 | date=2006-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{citation
| title=Scorpion venom blocks bone loss | publisher=Harvard University
| url=http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/scorpion-venom-blocks-bone-loss
| access-date=2008-10-25
}}</ref>

[[Tick]]s are parasitic, and some transmit micro-organisms and [[parasite]]s that can cause diseases in humans, while the saliva of a few species can directly cause [[tick paralysis]] if they are not removed within a day or two.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Goodman |first1=Jesse L. |last2=Dennis |first2=David Tappen |last3=Sonenshine |first3=Daniel E. |title=Tick-borne diseases of humans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKlUARLKT9IC |access-date= 29 March 2010 |year=2005 |publisher=ASM Press |isbn=978-1-55581-238-6 |page=114 }}</ref>

A few of the closely related mites also infest humans, some causing intense itching by their bites, and others by burrowing into the skin. Species that normally infest other animals such as [[rodent]]s may infest humans if their normal hosts are eliminated.<ref>{{citation
| title=Parasitic Mites of Humans | author=Potter, M.F.
| publisher=University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
| url=http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef637.asp | access-date=2008-10-25
}}</ref> Three species of mite are a threat to [[honey bee]]s and one of these, ''[[Varroa destructor]]'', has become the largest single problem faced by [[beekeeper]]s worldwide.<ref>{{citation
|author1=Jong, D.D. |author2=Morse, R.A. |author3=Eickwort, G.C. |name-list-style=amp | title=Mite Pests of Honey Bees
| journal=Annual Review of Entomology | volume=27 | pages=229–252 | date=January 1982
| doi=10.1146/annurev.en.27.010182.001305
}}</ref> Mites cause several forms of allergic diseases, including [[hay fever]], [[asthma]] and [[eczema]], and they aggravate [[atopic dermatitis]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/allergyhousedustmite.htm |title=House dust mite allergy |publisher=NetDoctor |author1=Klenerman, Paul |author2=Lipworth, Brian |author3=authors |access-date=2008-02-20 |archive-date=2008-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211110450/http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/allergyhousedustmite.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mites are also significant crop pests, although [[predator]]y mites may be useful in controlling some of these.<ref name="Shultz2001ArachnidsInEncOfLifeSci" /><ref>{{citation
| author=Osakabe, M.
| title=Which predatory mite can control both a dominant mite pest, ''Tetranychus urticae'', and a latent mite pest, ''Eotetranychus asiaticus'', on strawberry?
| journal=Experimental & Applied Acarology | year=2002| volume=26 | issue=3–4 | pages=219–230
| doi=10.1023/A:1021116121604
| pmid=12542009
| s2cid=10823576
}}</ref>
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