Paederus riparius · krantinis trumpasparnis

The beetles neither sting nor bite, but their haemolymph contains pederin, a potent toxin which is highly irritating to the skin and causes blistering. Pederin is more potent than cobra venom. The toxin is released when the beetle is crushed against the skin. People are advised to brush or blow the insect off their skin to prevent irritation.
Only females are able to biosynthesize pederin.
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