Paederus | |
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Paederus rove beetles, showing size | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Staphylinidae |
Tribe: | Paederini |
Subtribe: | Paederina |
Genus: | Paederus Fabricius, 1775 [1] |
Type species | |
Paederus riparius | |
Species | |
Paederus alfierii Contents |
Paederus is a genus of small beetles of the family Staphylinidae ("rove beetles"). With 622 valid species assigned by 1987 to the subtribe Paederina (Paederus and its close allies), and with all but 148 within Paederus itself, [2] the genus is large. Due to toxins in the hemolymph of some species within this genus, it has given its name to paederus dermatitis, a characteristic skin irritation that occurs if one of the insects is crushed against skin. That name, Paederus dermatitis, is a poor choice because, decades earlier, the affliction had been called dermatitis linearis, a name that works in all languages, not just English, because of its Latin origin; the name Paederus dermatitis is also inappropriate because it has shown to be caused by (a) only a few species of the genus Paederus, but (b) also a few species that belong to closely related genera (that are not Paederus) within the subtribe Paederina. [3] A scholarly paper in 2002 suggested that a Paederus species could have been responsible for some of the ten Plagues of Egypt described in the Bible's Book of Exodus. [4]
Like other beetles (Coleoptera), rove beetles have hardened forewings that cover the flight wings. At one time, the rove beetle group was known as "Brachyptera" (short wings), because their flight wings are folded under short elytra. [5]
Paederus species are widely distributed around the world. [6] They are much more brightly colored than other rove beetles, with metallic blue- or green-colored elytra and many with bright orange or red on the pronotum and the basal segments of the abdomen. These bright colors may be an example of aposematism, a warning signal to potential predators. [7]
Although most adult rove beetles avoid daylight, Paederus species are active during the day and attracted to bright lights after nightfall. [3]
Paederus eggs are laid singly, in moist habitats. Larvae go through two instars before pupation. Both larvae and adults are predatory on other insects. [3] Because of their preference for moist soil, large numbers of Paederus beetles may be attracted to irrigated farmland, where they provide some benefit by eating herbivorous insects but can cause problems for people working in fields or grassy areas. [7]
According to Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2009) "At least 20 of the more than 600 species of Paederus beetles have been associated with Paederus dermatitis", [7] even though Paederus beetles do not bite or sting. [8] This skin irritation results from contact with pederin, a vesicant toxin in the hemolymph of many but not all females in the genus Paederus. [9] The toxin is manufactured, not by the beetles themselves, but by endosymbiont bacteria, probably some species of Pseudomonas . [10]
Paederus dermatitis is caused when a pederin-containing beetle is crushed, even partially, against the skin. [7] This skin irritation is also called "dermatitis linearis" or "linear dermatitis" because one can inadvertently drag a beetle across the skin in a more-or-less straight line when trying to brush it away. The resulting inflammation will also be linear. [11] Because Paederus species are widely dispersed around the world, this syndrome has many different local nicknames including "whiplash dermatitis", "spider lick", [7] and "Nairobi fly dermatitis". In East Africa, conjunctivitis from getting pederin in the eye is called "Nairobi eye". [12]
Once pederin is on the skin from the initial beetle contact, it may also be spread elsewhere on the skin. "Kissing" or "mirror-image" lesions where two skin areas come in contact (for example, the elbow flexure) are often seen. [11] Washing the hands and skin with soap and water is strongly recommended if contact with a rove beetle has occurred. [8]
Initial skin contact with pederin shows no immediate result. Within 12–36 hours, however, a reddish rash (erythema) appears, which develops into blisters. Irritation, including crusting and scaling, may last from two to three weeks. [8]
An article in The Lancet suggests that events like those described as the first two of the ten plagues of Egypt (anoxic die-off in the Nile, followed by many dead frogs) would have created ideal breeding conditions for P. alfierii . The authors suggest that the plague of "boils" could be the skin irritation, typically delayed by a day or more, resulting from contact with Paederus during the third or fourth plagues (lice or flies). They also note that Paederus infestations are often localized, so it would be quite possible for them to have invaded Pharaoh's palace but not the homes of the Jews. [4]
Many modern occurrences of localized but intense Paederus impact are documented in research papers with titles like "An outbreak of paederus dermatitis in a suburban hospital in Sri Lanka", [13] "An outbreak of 268 cases of Paederus dermatitis in a toy-building factory in central China", [14] "Outbreak of dermatitis linearis caused by Paederus ilsae and Paederus iliensis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) at a military base in Iraq", [15] and "Evacuation of an Aboriginal community in response to an outbreak of blistering dermatitis induced by a beetle (Paederus australis)". [16]
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal species; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
Urushiol is an oily mixture of organic compounds with allergenic properties found in plants of the family Anacardiaceae, especially Toxicodendronspp., Comocladia spp. (maidenplums), Metopium spp. (poisonwood), and also in parts of the mango tree as well as the fruit of the cashew tree.
Irritant diaper dermatitis is a generic term applied to skin rash in the diaper area that are caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants.
The rove beetles are a family (Staphylinidae) of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra that typically leave more than half of their abdominal segments exposed. With over 66,000 species in thousands of genera, the group is the largest family in the beetle order, and one of the largest families of organisms. It is an ancient group, with fossilized rove beetles known from the Triassic, 200 million years ago, and possibly even earlier if the genus Leehermania proves to be a member of this family. They are an ecologically and morphologically diverse group of beetles, and commonly encountered in terrestrial ecosystems.
Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are not contagious or life-threatening, but can be very uncomfortable.
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a form of contact dermatitis that is the manifestation of an allergic response caused by contact with a substance; the other type being irritant contact dermatitis (ICD).
Hailey–Hailey disease (HHD), or familial benign chronic pemphigus or familial benign pemphigus, was originally described by the Hailey brothers in 1939. It is a genetic disorder that causes blisters to form on the skin.
Pederin is a vesicant toxic amide with two tetrahydropyran rings, found in the haemolymph of the beetle genus Paederus, including the Nairobi fly, belonging to the family Staphylinidae. It was first characterized by processing 25 million field-collected P. fuscipes. It makes up approximately 0.025% of an insects weight.
Nairobi fly is the common name for two species of rove beetle in the genus Paederus, native to East Africa originating from Tanzania. The beetles contain a corrosive substance known as pederin, which can cause chemical burns if it comes into contact with skin. Because of these burns, the Nairobi fly is sometimes referred to as a "dragon bug."
Blister beetle dermatitis is a cutaneous condition that occurs after contact with any of several types of beetles, including those from the Meloidae and Oedemeridae families. Blister beetles secrete an irritant called cantharidin, a vesicant that can get onto humans if they touch the beetles.
Paederus dermatitis, medically known as dermatitis linearis, is a skin irritation resulting from contact with the hemolymph of certain rove beetles, a group that belongs to the insect order Coleoptera and the genus Paederus. Other local names given to Paederus dermatitis include spider-lick, whiplash dermatitis, and Nairobi fly dermatitis.
Staphylininae are a subfamily of rove beetles. They contain the typical rove beetles with their long but fairly robust blunt-headed and -tipped bodies and short elytra, as well as some more unusually-shaped lineages.
The Paederinae are a subfamily of the Staphylinidae, rove beetles. The Paederinae include two tribes, Paederini and Pinophilini. This insect is commonly known as Tomcat.
Nickel allergy is any of several allergic conditions provoked by exposure to the chemical element nickel. Nickel allergy often takes the form of nickel allergic contact dermatitis (Ni-ACD), a form of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Ni-ACD typically causes a rash that is red and itchy and that may be bumpy or scaly. The main treatment for it is avoiding contact with nickel-releasing metals, such as inexpensive jewelry. Another form of nickel allergy is a systemic form: systemic nickel allergy syndrome (SNAS) can mimic some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and also has a dermatologic component.
Christmas Eye refers to a seasonal epidemic of corneal ulceration which predominantly occurs in a particular region of Australia, caused by chemicals released upon death by small native beetles in the area.
Osorius is a genus of unmargined rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae. There are about nine described species in Osorius.
Sceptobius is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae. There are at least three described species in Sceptobius.
Dinaraea is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae. There are about 16 described species in Dinaraea.
Tegrodera aloga, the iron cross blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Arizona, California, and Sonora.
Burmese amber is fossil resin dating to the early Late Cretaceous Cenomanian age recovered from deposits in the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar. It is known for being one of the most diverse Cretaceous age amber paleobiotas, containing rich arthropod fossils, along with uncommon vertebrate fossils and even rare marine inclusions. A mostly complete list of all taxa described up until 2018 can be found in Ross 2018; its supplement Ross 2019b covers most of 2019.
Among the Staphylinidae, the genus Paederus is known to contain at least 25 species.
Pederin contacts human skin only when a beetle is brushed vigorously over the skin or crushed.
This study investigates the effects of pederin, a hemolymph toxin that is accumulated in the eggs of most Paederus females