Arthropod pests

"Arthropod pests" refers to a broad and diverse group of invertebrate organisms within the phylum Arthropoda—including insects, arachnids, and mites—that negatively affect human health, agriculture, or livestock [11, 14]. This functional category encompasses significant disease vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks, as well as direct human parasites like lice and scabies mites [14]. From a pharmacological and biotech perspective, "Arthropod pests" is not a single molecular target or receptor; rather, it is a classification of organisms targeted by various biocides like insecticides, acaricides, and repellents [4, 6]. These chemical agents exert their effects by interacting with specific molecular targets within the pests, most notably voltage-gated sodium channels, acetylcholinesterase, and various ligand-gated ion channels [4, 8]. Controlling these pests is critical for managing global health threats such as malaria, Dengue fever, and Lyme disease, as well as for ensuring food security [13, 14]. However, therapeutic strategies are consistently challenged by the rapid evolution of resistance mechanisms and the need to minimize toxicological impacts on non-target species and the environment [7, 8, 10].

Other names

Insect pestsArachnid pestsAgricultural pestsEctoparasitesDisease vectors

Interruption of physiological processes in the organism, primarily via the modulation of the nervous system (e.g., sodium channel blocking, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, or GABA-gated chloride channel activation).