Arthropods in culture Arthropods in culture Culture consists of the social behaviour and norms in human societies transmitted through social learning. Arthropods play many roles in human culture, including as food, in art, in stories, and in mythology and religion. Many of these concern insects, which are important both economically and symbolically, from the work of honeybees to the scarabs of Ancient Egypt. Other arthropods with cultural significance include crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, and crayfish, which are popular subjects in art, especially still lifes, and arachnids such as spiders and scorpions, whose venom has medical applications. The crab and the scorpion are
Stinger receiving the venom. Spiders only bite, although some tarantulas have urticating hairs. Certain caterpillars also have urticating hairs. Organs that perform similar functions in non-arthropods are often referred to as "stings". These organs include the modified dermal denticle of the stingray, the venomous spurs on the hind legs of the male platypus, and the cnidocyte tentacles of the jellyfish. The term "sting" was historically often used for the fang of a snake, although this usage is uncommon today. Snakes are said, correctly, to bite, not sting. Stinger A stinger, or sting, is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically