The purple jersey beetle is a poisonous insect that does not threaten anyone

Morphological description of the species

Purple or blue tank top (Meloe violaceus) is a beetle from the blister family, the genus tank top. The adult is medium in size, body length is 10-32 mm. The head and pronotum are covered with fine punctures. The elytra are short and diverge to the sides. Representatives of the species do not fly, they do not have wings. The head is triangular in shape, the antennae are clear-shaped, and the eyes are kidney-shaped. The abdomen is large, especially swollen in the female. The body color is dark blue and violet. Limbs with prehensile claws and spurs on the shins.

Information. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the size of the beetles (the female is larger than the male) and the shape of the antennae. In males, the clear-shaped antennae have bizarre growths in the middle.

Distribution area

Purple jersey beetles are found in Central and Southern Europe. The insects are common in Kazakhstan, East Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and North Africa. In Russia they live in the Caucasus, Siberia and the Primorsky Territory.

Mosquitoes

See also Mosquitoes, video of a mosquito drinking blood

More than 1000 species of mosquitoes are known. The habitat extends north to the 50th parallel. The most noticeable difference between maskites and mosquitoes is their brown-gray or yellow coloration. They carry a wide range of different diseases, including leishmaniasis. They fly to prey at a distance of up to 1.5 km. In populated areas they live in burrows of house rodents, under floors, in basements.

To breed, mosquitoes need shallow bodies of water with standing warm water: for example, a puddle or a tin can. Female mosquitoes drink blood.

Most species attack humans at night; especially active immediately after sunset and shortly before sunrise. If the weather is cloudy, mosquitoes also attack during the day. They rarely limit themselves to one “meal.”

Insects do not bite through thick fabric such as soldier's cloth. A thin shirt will only protect in those places where it does not touch the body.

Radical protection against mosquitoes and mosquitoes includes the following:

• Drainage of puddles, swampy areas, standing water reservoirs;
• Spraying insecticides in rooms where insects hibernate: basements, attics;
• “Oiling” of water bodies: spills of kerosene or other low-volatile petroleum products that form a film in the water that prevents mosquito larvae from breathing;
• Use repellents. The drug can be used to impregnate clothes and bed nets. It lasts from 3 to 8 hours - depending on the type of repellent, against insects and on the weather.

Please note that repellents may damage plastic and synthetic fabrics.

Imago lifestyle

Clumsy insects with a thick body stay on the ground and crawl along stumps and herbaceous plants. Adults feed on cereals and love clover, dandelions, buttercups, anemones, and violets. If they find themselves near fields with vegetables, they damage agricultural crops. Beetles can be found in various biotypes: steppes, meadows, forest edges. To continue the life cycle, it is important to have nearby open areas suitable for solitary bees to settle.

Information. On a hot day, the beetles hide under the leaves; their soft abdomen is buried in the ground to avoid drying out.

Adults appear in spring, in April. After additional feeding they begin to mate. Beetles are slow and clumsy and do not run away from danger. Their hemolymph contains a highly toxic substance called cantharidin, which can kill small animals. When the oily liquid comes into contact with human skin, it causes an allergic reaction and blisters appear.

Interesting fact. In case of danger, the purple T-shirt falls to the ground and pretends to be dead. An additional defense mechanism is an oily, unpleasant-smelling liquid secreted from the joints of the limbs and abdomen.

In regions where the area of ​​meadows is shrinking, construction is taking place, plowing is taking place, grass is being mowed, and the number of purple t-shirts is decreasing. Due to the lack of wings, beetles cannot move long distances in search of new habitats.

Reproduction

Mating is the finale of the life of males; after transferring the seed to the female, they die. For laying, a place is chosen close to a colony of solitary bees. The female digs a hole in soft soil. In one clutch the number of eggs reaches 1000 pieces. The female makes 2-3 separate burrows with eggs. After this, it also dies. The larvae appear after 30-40 days.

The blister family is characterized by hypermetamorphosis. This type of insect development is transitional between complete and incomplete metamorphosis. The first instar larvae, called triungulins, differ from the older instars. External differences are related to lifestyle. Triungulins are actively moving, looking for hosts for further development. Once in a bee's nest, they moult and turn into short-legged, worm-like parasites that feed on honey. Before true pupation, insects go through a “false pupae” stage.

Horsefly

Both people and animals have encountered horse flies more than once.
These insects sting very painfully. Induration and redness remain at the site of the bite; in particularly sensitive people, the temperature sometimes rises. Perhaps someone will be consoled by the fact that only female horseflies bite and drink blood. By the way, they do this not out of malice or bad character - they need blood to lay eggs. Horseflies are carriers of dangerous diseases - anthrax, tularemia, filariasis and others. At first, few people worry, thinking that the ulcers at the site of the bite are an allergic reaction that will soon pass. In fact, this may be the beginning of an infection, and protective measures must be taken urgently.

To reduce the risk of infection, apply pressure to the bite site (this will reduce the spread of insect saliva), apply ice, wash and cauterize with iodine or alcohol. If redness and swelling do not go away, you should consult a doctor.

Features of larval development

The first instar larvae, after emerging from the earthen burrow, climb onto flowering plants, where they wait for bees. They cling to hymenoptera insects, which carry the larvae to their own nest. Once in a bee's home, the first thing they do is eat the egg. The larvae grow and develop at the expense of food reserves prepared in the nest. The victims of parasites are solitary bees of common genera: Osmia, Anthophora, Nomia. They build nests and lay eggs in the ground. Violet T-shirts live nearby, the development of which is impossible without their owners.

The body of triungulina is flat, yellow, size 1.7-2 mm. The head has pointed sickle-shaped jaws and eyes. The abdomen ends in two long setae. The legs are long, the paws have sharp claws that allow them to stay on the bee's body. After molting, the legs shorten and the eyes disappear. The larva eats honey reserves, grows and molts several times. Some parasites pupate in the bee's nest, but most leave it and burrow into the ground to a depth of 10 cm.

By autumn, the larva turns into a “false pupa”, characterized by a durable chitinous cover. In this state, she does not feed and enters winter diapause. A dense cocoon protects against drying out, climatic influences and mechanical damage. In the spring, a larva emerges from it and turns into a pupa. After a few days, the imago emerges from it.

The most dangerous insects

Brazilian spider

The Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria) is a venomous creature native to South and Central America. The Guinness Book of Records in 2010 named it the most venomous spider in the world.

The venom of the Brazilian spider contains an incredibly powerful neurotoxin - PhTx3. With a high concentration of toxin in the bite, loss of muscle control, breathing problems, then paralysis occurs, followed by suffocation.

The bite of this spider is not very painful, but the poison, entering the body, instantly infects the lymphatic system and in 85 percent of cases leads to failure of the heart muscle.

The person feels crazy numbness.

There is an antidote for the bite of this spider, but due to the enormous damage caused by the venom to the body, the percentage of successful detoxification process is equal to the victim's chances of survival.

Brown spiders are recluses

This spider, unlike the Black Widow, does not release toxins. Its bite tears the skin from the inside and causes damage that can take months to heal.

The bite often goes unnoticed; the sensation of a bite in most cases is similar to a needle prick. But after 2-8 hours the pain makes itself felt.

Then the situation develops depending on the amount of poison that enters the body.

The venom of the brown spider causes necrosis and destroys tissue. If the victim of a spider is a small child or an elderly person, the bite can be fatal.

Hairy caterpillars

Despite the extremely attractive appearance of these hairy caterpillars (Megalopyge opercularis), do not be fooled by their funny appearance, because they are very poisonous.

As a rule, people believe that it is the hairs that sting, but in fact the poison is secreted by the spines, which are hidden in the layer of fur. After exposure to the poison, headaches, dizziness, severe burning near the affected area, vomiting, damage to the lymph nodes, severe abdominal pain, and sometimes respiratory arrest may begin.

Cockroaches

This is one of the most famous beetles that transmit diseases dangerous to humans. When living together with them, cockroaches climb into garbage cans, toilets and other hot spots for bacteria to accumulate, and, accordingly, are their active carriers

.

These red-haired freaks carry a huge variety of diseases, including worms, tuberculosis, typhoid, dysentery, fungus, various harmful single-celled organisms, viruses and bacteria.

Moreover, for many months these creatures can survive without food and water.

Parasitic worms

These worms are a type of eukaryotic parasite. Most of these companions are known to reside in the digestive tract and intestines

humans, causing insomnia, nausea, vomiting and other health problems.

A person does not feel a bug bite, because the saliva of this small parasite contains an anesthetic. If the bug did not manage to get to the blood capillary the first time, then it bites the person several times

.

Itching, burning and a blister may develop at the site of the bite. Occasionally, people experience a severe allergic reaction to the bite of this creature. Fortunately, more than 70 percent of victims experience no consequences

after an “encounter” with bedbugs.

Bedbugs are household insects that do not belong to the category of carriers of infectious diseases, but in their bodies they can carry blood-borne infections, such as viral hepatitis B, fever, plague, and tularemia, for a very long period of time.

They cause the greatest harm to people with their bites, depriving a person of proper sleep and rest, which subsequently has a negative impact on moral health and performance.

Are these insects dangerous?

Common mace is poisonous. At the slightest danger, the insect secretes an oily, viscous liquid. These secretions contain cantharidin, an organic non-protein poison.

In addition to T-shirts, carriers of this toxic substance are:

• barbel - red-breasted puffer, carpenter, Ussuri relict;
• Spanish fly;
• other beetles of the blister family.

On average, the insect body contains up to five percent pure cantharidin in its total biochemical composition. This substance is quite dangerous. When taken orally, a person requires 40 to 80 micrograms of pure cantharidin per kilogram of body weight to be fatal. This variation is explained by the varying degrees of susceptibility of the human body to the toxin.

Remedies used for insect bites

Aloe. The juice is used for lotions and irrigations.

Elecampane. For snake or scorpion bites, you should drink an infusion of the root with wine. Preparation of infusion: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of powdered root into 250 ml of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes, then mix with wine in equal quantities.

For lotions, a decoction of the leaves is recommended: 1 tbsp. Pour 250 ml of hot water into a spoon, boil for 5 minutes, strain.

Potato. A compress with fresh grated potatoes will relieve itching and irritation around the wound.

Laurel. Fresh leaves are good to apply for hornet and bee stings.

Garlic. Fresh juice or gruel is used to lubricate bee and wasp bites.

Rabindranath Tagore

Of course, I could do without flowers, but they help me maintain self-respect, because they prove that I am not shackled hand and foot by everyday worries. They are evidence of my freedom.

Where does the rhinoceros beetle live?

The range of these insects is extremely extensive. Rhinoceros beetles live throughout most of Europe, except in the far northern regions and the British Isles. Insects are found in northern Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Historically, the biotopes of rhinoceros beetles are confined to different types of broad-leaved forests and forest-steppe landscapes. As a result of people's exploration of new lands, insects settled in parks and nature reserves and became well adapted to existing near human habitation. Thanks to people, beetles spread throughout Europe, penetrating deep into the taiga and Western Siberia.

Today, the rhinoceros beetle is rightfully considered a synanthropic species, because in addition to deciduous forests, it lives and develops well in greenhouses and greenhouses, on livestock farms, in deposits of garbage, rotted manure and compost, and rotting wood debris.

The rhinoceros beetle's summer generally lasts from late May to early September. The warmer the climate, the earlier these insects can be seen. But don't count on a meeting during the day. It is unlikely that you will be able to take a photo of a rhinoceros beetle during daylight hours; they hide in the hollows of old trees and in shelters on the ground. They appear at dusk, reach their peak of activity in complete darkness and fly until dawn. They do not like ultraviolet radiation, but they fly into the light of lamps and lanterns with pleasure.

It is logical to assume that in the dark, rhinoceros beetles search for food. However, this issue is controversial and has not been fully studied.

Rhinoceros beetle on a flower.

Common rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis - Lucanidae).

Common rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis - Lucanidae).

Common rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis - Lucanidae).

Rhinoceros beetle in macro photography by Swedish photographer John Hallmen.

Why is the stink bug dangerous for plants?

Since the main food of the tree scale insect is the sap of various plants, including cultivated plantings, it poses a serious danger to agriculture, affecting still immature seedlings.

The bug begins to feed on their liquid, as a result of which the plant stops developing, loses its ability to bear fruit and ultimately dies. Acting in this way, a small bug can destroy entire fields, thereby causing considerable losses to farmers and agricultural enterprises.

Moreover, having eaten, the bug injects its poisonous saliva into the affected plant. It is this factor that becomes the main cause of plant death. As a rule, tree stink bugs parasitize the plantings where they lay their eggs. The number of larvae deposited depends on the type of pest and averages 40 pieces.

In agriculture, various pesticides are used to combat the stink bug, but insects quickly get used to them and lose sensitivity. This circumstance forces producers to constantly look for other ways to get rid of the pest and create new chemicals that can save fields from the invasion of stink bugs.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=teBa50uHKkA

African honey bee

African bees (also known as killer bees) are descendants of bees brought from Africa to Brazil in the 1950s in an attempt to improve that country's honey production. Some African queens have begun to interbreed with native European bees. The resulting hybrids moved north and are still found in southern California.

African bees look the same, and in most cases behave similarly to the European bees that currently live in the United States. They can only be detected by DNA analysis. Their stings are also no different from an ordinary bee. One very important difference between the two species is the defensive behavior of African bees, which occurs when defending their nest. In some attacks in South America, African bees have killed livestock and people. This behavior has earned AMPs the nickname “Killer Bees.”

Additionally, this type of bee is known for behaving like an invader. Swarms of them attack the hives of the common honey bee, invading them and installing their queen. They attack in large colonies and are ready to destroy anyone who encroaches on their queen.

Signs of a malaria mosquito bite

If a malaria mosquito bites, a person will not notice the difference and will perceive it as an attack by an ordinary bloodsucker. A slight tingling and redness of the skin accompanies the first hours after an attack by a dangerous malaria carrier. Then there is mild itching, blister and swelling. A photo of a malaria mosquito bite is shown below.

You can distinguish a malaria mosquito from a regular one by external, barely noticeable signs. Anopheles raises its abdomen during a bite, and a simple mosquito holds it parallel to the surface. The antennae of the malarial bloodsucker are longer than those of the common one. Both types of insects are almost the same in size.

The bite site may not make itself felt after a couple of days, and the victim will not suspect anything. The incubation period for malaria can last from 7 to 45 days from the moment of the bite. Before obvious signs of the disease appear, a person may experience the following ailments in the first week after being bitten by a malaria mosquito:

• weakness;
• apathy;
• pale skin;
• lack of appetite;
• nausea;
• pain in the abdomen;
• diarrhea;
• vomit.

The victim of a malarial bloodsucker rarely pays attention to these signs, finding another explanation for them. At this time, the disease is already developing in the body and causes a destructive effect on the internal organs.

To make you feel better, you should immediately treat the mosquito bite with an alcohol solution and apply ice. The patient is advised to drink plenty of fluids: strong tea and coffee. To prevent an allergic reaction to mosquito bites, you should take an antihistamine - Suprastin, Tavegil, Diphenhydramine.

Literature

• Du Merle, P. D. Les hôtes et les stades pré-imaginaux des Diptères Bombyliidae: revue bibliographique annotée.
  //Bulletin. de. la. Section. Regionale. Ouest. Palearctique. (Organisation. Internationale. de. Lutte. Biologique). 4:1-289.
• Evenhuis, N. L. and Greathead, D. J. World Catalog of bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae)
  . Backhuys Publishers Leiden.
• Hull, F.M. Bee flies of the world.
  The genera of the family Bombyliidae. // Bulletin of the United States National Museum No. 286. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC
• Yeates, D. K., . Cladistics and classification of the Bombyliidae (Diptera: Asiloidea).
  // Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 219:1-191.
• Zaytsev, VF 1986. Comparative morphological review of the thoracic sclerites in Diptera of the superfamily Bombylioidea.
  // Entomol. Rev. 65: 39-59.
• Zaytsev, VF 1992. Contribution to the phylogeny and systematics of the superfamily Bombylioidea (Diptera).
  // Entomol. Rev. 71:94-114.

Spanish flies

Spanish flies are found in the south of the forest zone. The beetles have a metallic green body with a bronze sheen and have a pungent and unpleasant odor.

The hemolymph of all blister beetles is poisonous; in case of danger, they secrete droplets of it from the holes located between the shins and thighs of the legs (bleeding). When crushed on the surface of the skin, blister beetles cause dermatitis. The most commonly affected parts of the body are the arms, neck, and face. The hemolymph of t-shirts, spanks and blisters mainly affects the mouths of the hair follicles, which leads to the appearance of characteristic large blisters. The presence of wounds, scratches or wet skin increases the absorption of the poison and the subsequent development of general symptoms of poisoning. In severe cases, glomerulonephritis and cystitis develop.

Karakurt

The karakurt mainly lives in the southern regions of Russia, but in hot years it was also found in the Moscow region. So it's better to play it safe. These spiders are especially dangerous in early and mid-summer. The male karakurt was not seen to be doing anything wrong, but the female, according to tradition, is the owner of one of the most powerful poisons known to mankind. A female karakurt has the power to “put down” an entire herd of small cattle.

For humans, this spider also poses a danger - the karakurt poison causes pain, swelling, and clouding of consciousness. If medical assistance is not provided in time, the bite victim may die. Therefore, in places where these arthropod “killers” live (in particular, in the southern regions), special treatment of the area is carried out from time to time, and clinics and hospitals always have antidote serum in the required quantities.

After being bitten by a karakurt, the victim must be urgently taken to the nearest health care facility so that he can receive the necessary injection.

What should you do to avoid becoming prey to stinging monsters?

These measures are very simple, but they should not be neglected:

• do not wear bright clothes to the dacha or in the forest;
• protect exposed skin when going to potentially hazardous areas;
• wear a hat;
• do not wear perfume;
• Use repellent and mosquito nets whenever possible.

Some insects not only sting painfully, but also pose a serious danger to life. To avoid such a threat, take preventive protective measures in advance. Of course, it is better to avoid poisonous insects. But if it so happens that they “taste” you, thanks to our material you will always know how to behave in such a situation!

How to get rid of it?

You can deal with insect larvae using an effective folk method: in the spring and summer, water the soil with a decoction of onion peels (take a kilogram of onion peels for 10 liters of water, let it sit for five days). Dilute the resulting composition with water in equal proportions. Carry out manipulations in the warm season, when the larvae are close to the surface.

Use traps:

• coat a shallow container, a basin, with a sticky substance, for example, grease. Place a light source and bait (a little manure) on the bottom. When darkness falls, place the product in an open area. Such a device will catch not only dung beetles, but also other pests in the garden plot;
• take a two-liter bottle, cut off the top. Make four small holes in the walls and thread the cord through them. Place bait in your traps, hang them on trees, or place them near the beetles' favorite spots.

They do not produce special insecticides against dung beetles, because few people want to fight these insects. There are no special preventive recommendations against the appearance of dung beetles. The insect is absolutely harmless and brings great benefits to the garden, including the soil.

Video

Interesting facts about the rhinoceros beetle

The rhinoceros beetle is such an amazing creature of nature that entomologists and historians can tell a lot of interesting things about it.

1. During excavations on the island of Crete, a ceramic figurine of a rhinoceros beetle was found in one of the sacred temples, which was probably used in ritual rites.
2. In Paustovsky’s wonderful fairy tale “The Adventures of the Rhinoceros Beetle,” the military events of the Great Patriotic War are presented through the eyes of a beetle.
3. The colorful image of the insect is depicted on postage stamps of Belarus and Bulgaria.
4. Chinese and Japanese scientists have conducted a number of daring experiments involving rhinoceros beetles. Miniature photos and video cameras were attached to the insects' bodies to record objects remotely from a height. As a result, it turned out that the rhinoceros beetle is capable of moving a load 850 times its weight.
5. In another study, these beetles were turned into real cyborgs - drones, by placing radio-controlled electrodes in their muscle tissue. The not particularly humane experience is explained by the opportunity to explore inaccessible and dangerous places.

Ants insects

Nomadic ants

These creatures are truly dangerous. Nomadic (wandering) ants are known for their incredible aggression. These creatures, unlike other types of ants, do not build their own anthills.

They create colonies that migrate regularly

from one place to another. During the day they are always on the move, hunting for small insects and vertebrates.

In one day, one colony can kill about half a million

small animals and insects.

Ants Bullets

These large tropical ants (Paraponera clavata) have a strong sting. Ants got this name because victims of their bites compare interaction with this ant to being shot.

After a bite, a person feels severe pain and constant throbbing for 24 hours. Among some Indian tribes, this type of ant takes part in rituals to dress boys into adulthood.

Often boys experience temporary paralysis of the stung fingers and even blackening. During the study of the poison contained in the bodies of these creatures, a paralyzing neurotoxin, poneratoxin, was isolated.

Fire ants

These ants have a strong sting and an aggressive venom whose sting is similar to a flame burn.

This is where their name comes from.

More often under this name you can find the red fire ant, which is widespread throughout the world. There are numerous cases of human contact with this ant, which resulted in severe consequences, anaphylactic shock and even death.

Siafu Ants

The main habitat of these creatures is East and Central Africa, as well as tropical Asia. Insect colonies number up to 20 million individuals, and all of them are blind

.

They travel based on pheromones. Colonies do not build permanent anthills for themselves; they roam from place to place. On the way, any invertebrate animals are attacked.

Moreover, not everyone attacks, but a special group of soldiers who sting with their hook-shaped jaws all the victims they come across. The jaws of these soldiers are so strong that in Africa they are used to secure stitches.

According to statistics, 20-50 people die every year from the bites of these creatures.

, old people and children are especially sensitive to their bites. Ants are extremely aggressive, especially when it comes to protecting their colony, which may accidentally be attacked by a person.

Box Jellyfish (Box Jellyfish)

The creatures most likely to be encountered are on the west coast of Australia and the Philippines, where dozens of jellyfish-related deaths are reported each year, and cases have also been reported in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and even Galveston Island in the Gulf of Mexico.

What makes this jellyfish so dangerous? The numerous tentacles of this seemingly ordinary jellyfish are lined with thousands of nematocysts, which are searing cells filled with powerful toxins that almost instantly paralyze the heart and nervous system.

There is an antidote for these toxins, but in most cases the victims become numb, drown, or die of heart failure on the way to the hospital. Rare survivors have reported suffering severe pain for weeks after contact with the jellyfish, resulting in scarring that lasted a lifetime.

Shrenk's Blister

Red beetles with black dots also include the Schrenk's blister beetle.
He is easily recognizable by his bright, characteristic appearance. Its elytra are red or orange, with transverse stripes and black spots. The body is distinguished by dense hair. On sunny days, these beetles can be seen sitting one or several individuals on flowers. They are usually slow and lethargic. Their larvae are more mobile than adults. Penetrating into locust egg capsules, they feed on their eggs.

These insects received this name due to the fact that their blood contains poison (cantharidin), which strongly irritates the skin and causes the appearance of water blisters (abscesses). It may also happen that an animal that swallows this beetle with grass will get sick and die.