Insects are out in the summer, please be careful!

In the morning, walk through the foggy Chaotianmen, cross the Yangtze River cableway, and the light rail that goes through the building... The landform here is special. As long as you walk on the street, you will go up to the sky and into the ground, and rotate like a roller coaster. Therefore, this city is called the "8D Magic City". This is Chongqing. In Chongqing, in addition to the wonders, there are also various poisonous insects. If you encounter them, you must be extra careful.

Image source: soogif

1. Rove beetle

Rove beetles, also known as "shadow beetles" and "green-waisted beetles", are the common name for beetles in the family Rovetidae of the order Coleoptera. They belong to the class Insecta, order Coleoptera, family Rovetidae. It is the species-rich family in the order Coleoptera, with more than 58,500 known species worldwide, and they are distributed all over the world.

The habitat of rove beetles is complex. They are distributed in farmlands, woods, rainforests, mountains, riverbanks and seashores. They have also been found on the surface of some mammals.

Rove beetle丨Photo source: Paixin Creative

The appearance of this insect is mostly slender, small, with parallel sides, black head, wings and abdomen, and orange-yellow prothorax, abdomen and legs. It looks like a big ant, generally less than 3 mm, and up to 3 cm. Most species have short and thick elytra, about the same length as width, and well-developed hind wings, which can be quickly unfolded from under the elytra when taking off. After flying, they are folded up with the help of abdomen and legs and hidden under the elytra again. Most of the abdominal segments are exposed. Some species have degenerated hind wings and even elytra; some species have well-developed elytra that completely cover the hind wings and abdomen. The larvae are wingless. Some large species have beautiful black and yellow, like wasps; some look and behave like soldier ants. Being bitten by this insect is just a burst of pain at first, which will not attract people's attention, but the next day, something strange happened. The half of the neck that was bitten swelled up and began to fester. Seeing that the festering was getting worse, I went to see a doctor, and then I learned that it was not an ant that bit my neck, but a rove beetle similar to a flying ant.

Image source: Zhihu @一寸虫

The venom of rove beetles is highly acidic and corrosive to the skin. How can we prevent such poisonous insects? In summer, try not to move outdoors or on grass. If you must move in these places, wear long pants to cover your skin and use mosquito nets when sleeping. If you see a rove beetle resting on your skin, do not kill it to avoid splashing a large amount of venom. It is best to blow the insect away with your mouth. If a rove beetle appears at home, you can stick it with tape or catch it with a paper towel and throw it away. Be careful not to come into contact with the venom.

2. Ticks

The body of this worm is oval, flat on the abdomen and back when not sucking blood, with a slightly raised back. The adult body is 2 to 10 mm long. After being full of blood, it swells to the shape of red beans or castor beans, and the largest can be up to 3 cm long. The epidermis is leathery, and the back may have a chitinous shield. The body of the worm is divided into two parts: the maxilla and the body.

Tick丨Image source: Paixin Creative

If you are bitten by a tick by accident. Never pull it out directly with your hands, because the tick's mouthparts are barbed and will tightly hook your skin. It is difficult to pull out the whole body of the tick by force. In the end, you can only pull out half of its body, and its head will remain inside the body. At this time, you should use something to burn the exposed body of the tick and let it slowly withdraw by itself; you can also use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to apply it to the tick, let the tick slowly relax, and wait for it to die. When the tick is completely motionless and confirmed to be dead, ask the pharmacy to borrow a pair of pointed tweezers, and use the tweezers to gently pull the tick out.

Image source: Paixin Creative

After the tick is removed, you should not take it lightly. You need to disinfect the bitten area and observe your physical condition at any time. If you feel unwell, it is recommended to go to the hospital for examination and treatment. People and pets are hosts of ticks. If ticks appear in your home, it is recommended to ask a local professional pest control technician to develop a plan to deal with them as soon as possible.

3. Caterpillar

Caterpillars, also called caterpillars, are the larvae of Lepidoptera (butterflies or moths). Although they are called "caterpillars", not every caterpillar has hair. Some have smooth surfaces, some have fleshy horns, and some have smelly horns. Caterpillars have three pairs of forelegs, and most have five pairs of pseudopodia in the abdomen and tail. When they metamorphose into adults, they only retain three pairs of forelegs.

Caterpillar | Source: Paixin Creative

Caterpillars are pests that often appear in the fields in the summer. They often feed on eating plant leaves and sucking sap. Caterpillars do not act alone, but always move in groups. They grow fast and consume a lot of energy. Crops and mountain forests are always attacked by caterpillars. Looking around, you can see a group of caterpillars crawling on the leaves of plants in the fields. It's really a bit of claustrophobia.

Caterpillars move slowly and have very soft bodies. They are rich in protein and are a favorite food of various birds and small omnivores. As insects, caterpillars only have three pairs of legs, but they can grow five pairs of abdominal feet on their sides. However, these abdominal feet are not real feet, but muscles growing from the abdomen. When caterpillars are crawling, the abdominal feet help them move; when they are eating, the abdominal feet can help them firmly grasp the leaves of plants so that they are not likely to fall off.

Caterpillar | Source: Paixin Creative

The caterpillars in Chongqing, or in other words, the caterpillars in China, are not to be feared. However, there is a caterpillar that lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean, which is considered the most terrifying caterpillar in the world. They feed on meat and are the only caterpillars in the world that eat meat. With the help of clever camouflage techniques, this caterpillar has transformed from a prey to a killer, and can even catch birds flying in the air. Caterpillars move slowly, their bodies are nutritious and soft, and they have no hard shell to protect them, so they attract the attention of many predators, but caterpillars will not surrender.

Some caterpillars can blend into the surrounding environment and hide themselves. This camouflage makes the enemies miss the delicious food in front of them; some caterpillars eat poisonous plants, and after digesting these toxins, they will grow poisonous stings or poisonous hairs on their bodies, so that the enemies dare not approach them; some caterpillars will grow colorful patterns on their bodies, and this bluffing method can also scare some predators; and some caterpillars can emit an unpleasant smell, and predators will quickly leave when they smell it and will not want to eat them.

Caterpillar | Source: Paixin Creative

Although caterpillars do not bite people, some of the long-haired caterpillars are poisonous. When the poisonous hairs penetrate human skin, they can release toxins, causing local stinging and burning sensations on the skin, and the skin surface becomes red and swollen, and even festering and ulcerating. In severe cases, it can cause systemic reactions such as urticaria and arthritis.

If a caterpillar accidentally lands on your body, do not slap it, but shake it off gently. If there are poisonous hairs on your skin, use adhesive tape to stick them off. If you are accidentally stung by a caterpillar and have obvious systemic symptoms, you need to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. Remember not to scratch with your hands because of itching.

Caterpillar | Source: Paixin Creative

Chongqing is mountainous and mosquitoes are often present in the summer. If you encounter an unfamiliar insect, do not rush to use the Tathagata Palm. Some poisonous insects may hurt yourself and others if not handled properly, leading to serious consequences.

The author of this article: Jia Fei, a popular science and science fiction writer.

Review experts: Huang He, Li Chunli, Chen Tao, Xu Xiaoping

Source: Chongqing Science and Technology Museum

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