Are Rove Beetles Really Toxic? Learn the Truth About Their Toxicity

Rove beetles is the general name for beetles of the family Staphylinidae in the order Coleoptera. They like to be active under lights. It is rumored online that they are extremely toxic and that crushing them on the skin can cause death, but according to experts, rove beetles are actually not that toxic. Compared with organisms such as the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), chigger mites, and dumb cane (Dieffenbachia), they are among the least toxic. Let us take a look below at whether rove beetles are really toxic!

Are Rove Beetles Really Toxic?

Worldwide, 20 species of toxic rove beetles capable of causing dermatitis have been reported, while only 3 are known in China, namely Paederus fuscipes, Paederus littoralis, and Paederus abnormalis. Every body segment of the toxic rove beetle contains toxin. When it rests on the skin and is pressed, slapped, or crushed, it releases strongly acidic venom that burns the skin. After an incubation period of several hours to 2 days, skin damage may appear, causing rove beetle dermatitis. Although toxic rove beetles do cause disease, they generally are not lethal.

How Is Rove Beetle Infection Contracted?

1. It is caused by directly rubbing the body of the rove beetle into the skin; this route of infection is called direct infection.

2. Fragments of the rove beetle's body contaminate the fingers, and the fingers then touch other parts of the body, causing infection.

3. The rove beetle hides in clothing or face towels. When these are used, the insect's body is crushed, causing the venom to smear onto them; infection then occurs after they contact the skin.

How Is Rove Beetle Dermatitis Treated?

1. Rinse with plenty of clean water. Clean water can dilute the venom and reduce the burning sensation of the skin.

2. Rinse the skin with a certain proportion of potassium permanganate solution, physiological saline, or a certain proportion of sodium bicarbonate solution.

3. If conditions permit, the wound can be washed with alkaline soapy water; acid-base neutralization can relieve skin discomfort.

4. When using calamine lotion, it is recommended to first prick the pustules open and dry them, then apply calamine lotion, applying it 3 to 5 times per day.

5. Take oral His man or chlorpheniramine medication. These medications are recommended to be taken under a doctor's guidance; do not take medication on your own.

6. After local disinfection, apply anti-allergic dermatitis Ping ointment or Wuji ointment, but do not apply the ointment directly to the wound.