Insect bites and stings Insect bites and stings Insect bites and stings occur when an insect is agitated and seeks to defend itself through its natural defense mechanisms, or when an insect seeks to feed off the bitten person. Some insects inject formic acid, which can cause an immediate skin reaction often resulting in redness and swelling in the injured area. Stings from fire ants, bees, wasps and hornets are usually painful, and may stimulate a dangerous allergic reaction called anaphylaxis for at-risk patients, and some wasps can also have a powerful bite along with a sting. Bites from mosquitoes and fleas are more
Insect term also form the usual word for "insect" in Welsh (, from ' "to cut" and " mil", "animal"), Serbo-Croatian ("zareznik", from "rezati", "to cut"), Russian ( "nasekomoje", from "seč'/-sekat"', "to cut"), etc. The precise definition of the taxon Insecta and the equivalent English name "insect" varies; three alternative definitions are shown in the table. In the broadest circumscription, Insecta "sensu lato" consists of all hexapods. Traditionally, insects defined in this way were divided into "Apterygota" (the first five groups in the table) – the wingless insects – and Pterygota – the winged insects. However, modern phylogenetic studies have shown