Symptoms of being bitten by a rove beetle

Mosquito bites are very annoying, especially in the summer when there are a lot of mosquitoes and mosquito bites are very common. However, being bitten by ordinary mosquitoes is not a big deal, but for those poisonous mosquitoes, if they bite the human body, it will cause serious consequences. The rove beetle is a poisonous flying insect. It is difficult to see because of its short wings, so it is called the rove beetle. So what are the symptoms after being bitten by a rove beetle?

Fold the wound after being bitten by a rove beetle

When human skin comes into contact with a small amount of venom (such as when a rove beetle crawls across the skin), red spots, flakes, or stripes will appear on the skin, followed by gray-brown necrosis in the center. If the injured area is not large, there will be a slight itchy and painful feeling; if the injured area is large (such as multiple parts of the skin are crawled by rove beetles), there will be a strong itchy and painful feeling, which may be accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, fever, etc.

If human skin comes into contact with a large amount of venom (such as venom flowing onto the skin), blisters will form at the injured site, the surrounding skin will become red and swollen, and there will be a circle-shaped area of ​​the original skin color between the blisters and the redness and swelling. Blisters can be broken, such as by squeezing them with a cotton swab and then washing them with salt water, but they will reappear soon. The blisters will disappear naturally soon, and the affected area will bulge, with the original blister in the middle becoming sunken, like a crater, but generally a crater is round, while the affected area on the skin is linear. The skin tissue at the raised part of the affected area will completely necrotize, forming a dark brown scar. New skin will grow under the scar, but the new skin is very light in color, which is somewhat different from the surrounding skin. After healing, the affected area will look like a wound healed by a knife. Therefore, the scars left behind have the greatest impact on the skin.

As to whether the rove beetle will cause damage to the skin after crawling over it, some think it will not, because the insect is not killed and the venom does not flow out; others think it will, because the needle-like structure on the insect's tail will touch the skin. In fact, it does (personal experience), but the consequences are only mild itching and peeling.

After being crawled by a rove beetle, be sure to keep the affected area clean, and it will usually heal on its own. However, in order to speed up healing, prevent skin infection, or reduce itching and pain, patients should immediately go to the dermatology department of an authoritative hospital for medical treatment. Generally, the doctor will prescribe topical medication to apply to the affected area, which will heal in about two weeks.

Rove beetles do not have venom glands and will not bite or sting people. When rove beetles crawl on human skin, they secrete body fluids from their joint cavities, causing skin lesions and linear scars, as shown in the figure below.

2 If you find a rove beetle, do not slap, rub or twist it - when the insect is killed or crushed, a large amount of venom will splash out, and large areas of skin will be eroded. At this time, if the patient's fingers are stained with venom and then touch other skin, the toxin will be spread. You should blow hard with your mouth to blow the insect away, then kill it with your kick. Then quickly use soap (or toothpaste if there is no soap) to clean the skin that has been crawled on. If the condition is serious, see a doctor.

3 How to prevent rove beetles - rove beetles are more common in summer and autumn, especially after rain when the weather is humid. You should shake out your clothes before putting them on. My friend found two rove beetles when he put on his shorts. The result was of course terrible. Rove beetles are nocturnal and are attracted to light. If you leave doors and windows open or have no screens, or if you like to check your phone in the middle of the night, be careful.

4 Insect repellent methods - light mosquito coils, keep the area dry, and spray some diluted medicated oil.