Nairobi fly
Topic: Biology
From HandWiki - Reading time: 2 min
| Nairobi fly | |
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| Species: | P. eximius
and P. sabaeus |
| Binomial name | |
| Paederus eximius | |
| Paederus sabaeus | |
Nairobi fly is the common name for two species of rove beetle in the genus Paederus, native to East Africa originating from Tanzania.[1] The beetles contain a corrosive substance known as pederin, which can cause chemical burns if it comes into contact with skin.[2][3] Because of these burns, the Nairobi fly is sometimes referred to as a "dragon bug."
Description
Adult beetles are predominantly black and red in colour, and measure 6–10 mm in length and 0.5–1.0 mm in width.[4] Their head, lower abdomen, and elytra are black, with the thorax and upper abdomen red.[5]
Biology
The beetles live in moist habitats and are often beneficial to agriculture because they will eat crop pests. Adults are attracted to artificial light sources, and as a result, inadvertently come into contact with humans.[5]
Heavy rains, sometimes brought on by El Niño events, provide the conditions for the Nairobi fly to thrive. Outbreaks have occurred in 1998.[3]
Relationship to humans
Paederus dermatitis
The beetles neither sting nor bite; their haemolymph contains pederin, a potent toxin that causes blistering and Paederus dermatitis. The toxin is released when the beetle is crushed against the skin, often at night, when sleepers inadvertently brush the insect from their faces. People are advised to gently brush or blow the insect off their skin to prevent irritation.[3][5] Research from a group at the University of Hyderabad in 2024 said that the use of LED lights at night may be a solution to prevent acid fly attacks.[6] The study said that there may be other unknown factors that may still attract the flies into living areas.
References
- ↑ Pokhrel, Amrit; Bastakoti, Sanjiv (2022-09-01). "Nairobi fly in South Asia: A catastrophic threat of the nature" (in en-US). Annals of Medicine and Surgery 81. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104358. ISSN 2049-0801. PMID 36147184.
- ↑ Qadir, Syed Nurul Rasool; Raza, Naeem; Rahman, Simeen Ber (2006). "Paederus dermatitis In Sierra Leone" (in en). Dermatology Online Journal 12 (7): 9. doi:10.5070/D38b58k49j. PMID 17459295. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b58k49j.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "'Nairobi fly' doesn't sting or bite, but it sure does hurt". CNN. January 26, 1998. http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9801/26/kenya.beetle.ap/index.html.
- ↑ Stefano Veraldi & Luciano Süss (1994). "Dermatitis caused by Paederus fuscipes Curt.". International Journal of Dermatology 33 (4): 277–278. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4362.1994.tb01045.x. PMID 8021088.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mammino, Jere J. (November 2011). "Paederus Dermatitis". The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology 4 (11): 44–46. ISSN 1941-2789. PMID 22125660.
- ↑ Kannampuzha, Tejas; Shamanna, B R. "Exploring the use of white Light Emitting Diodes to prevent 'Acid Fly' attacks". Indian Journal of Entomology. doi:10.55446/IJE.2024.2572. https://indianentomology.org/index.php/ije/article/view/2572.
Wikidata ☰ Q60774988 entry
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