Entomological warfare

Entomological warfare is the deliberate use of insects or other arthropods to spread disease, damage crops, or injure people and animals.

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Biological warfare: The deliberate use of pathogens or living organisms to harm people, animals, or crops. Entomological warfare is a biological-warfare method that uses arthropods as agents or carriers.
Unit 731: A Japanese Imperial Army unit that conducted biological warfare research and human experimentation before and during World War II. Its operations included attacks involving plague-infected fleas in China.
Siege of Caffa: A 1346 siege of a Genoese trading city in Crimea by the Golden Horde. A later account claims plague victims were catapulted into the city, though its reliability is disputed.
Epidemic: A disease outbreak in which cases rise above the expected level in a population or region. A released vector-borne pathogen could produce an outbreak beyond the intended target.
Biological weapons verification: Methods for determining whether states comply with bans on biological weapons development and possession. Insect research can have peaceful and hostile uses, complicating verification.
Vector-borne disease: An infection transmitted between hosts by an organism such as a mosquito, tick, or flea. Arthropods can deliver pathogens to people or animals through bites.
Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night: A planned Japanese biological attack on the United States using plague-infected fleas, canceled before execution. It is a documented plan to deliver disease through insect vectors.
Plague of Justinian: A major pandemic of plague that began in the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century. The disease later associated with flea-mediated attacks has a long history of devastating outbreaks.
Invasive species: A nonnative organism that establishes and causes ecological or economic harm in a new region. Released arthropods could persist and disrupt ecosystems or agriculture.
Dual-use research of concern: Life-science research intended for beneficial purposes that could be misapplied to cause harm. Vector biology and pest control research can overlap with weapon-relevant knowledge.