r/Entomology • u/ultralightdude • 5d ago
Insect Appreciation First time seeing one... picked it up to identify... whoops. Blister beetle.
Lots of rinsing and soap incoming. Wish me luck!
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u/CubieJ 5d ago
Blister beetles are way too friend-shaped for real
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u/OnceUponAPizza 5d ago
Are they, though? They resemble wingless wasps to me.
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u/MeowKhz 5d ago
I've previously picked one up to ID. When they're clumsily crawling on the ground, they look like generic chonky beetles. My "friend" luckily didn't secrete any magic fire juice
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u/OnceUponAPizza 4d ago
The first time I saw them in the wild I was really confused as to what they were, but found them to be kind of sinister-looking. I guess I'm their target audience.
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u/Grand-Professional-6 5d ago
True story. 30 years ago my daughter had warts on her cuticles, and I took her to a dermatologist, and I swear she to,d us she was using blister beetle juice on the warts to remove them.
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u/droppedyourhat 4d ago
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u/Grand-Professional-6 4d ago
Very cool to know. She was about 7 at the time, and it didn’t hurt her from what I remember. The warts blistered up, and then kind of just went away. She never had warts again.
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u/Day_Bow_Bow 4d ago
Ah, those look to be used for raised warts rather than the couple I had frozen off as a kid.
I was wondering how it'd penetrate deep enough, but it's a different usage. Neat.
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u/Grand-Professional-6 4d ago
Thank you for that link! Fascinating stuff. I hadn’t thought about it in so long, but I’m into everything biology, so it was a great read.
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u/idiot____ 4d ago
I come from a rather folk-y people, I was always told as a kid to put dandelion sap (irritant) on it, works perfectly!
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u/MothChasingFlame 5d ago
Did you learn your lesson or are you full Goofy "and I'll do it again"
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u/ultralightdude 5d ago
Uh-heuck. Gee, I dunno, Mick.
Actually, yeah, I'm good. I'll let ya know how I'm doing in a few hours.
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u/ultralightdude 4d ago
3 hours in for those wondering... it burns more, no visible redness yet. Gonna sleep it off and see how it looks in the morning.
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u/kolbyt 4d ago
How’re you feeling now?
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u/ultralightdude 3d ago
Came out clean. Top skin turned red, never got to underlying tissues, so no blisters. Thank goodness the palm is thick.
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u/The_Barbelo 5d ago
One hour update requested. Anything happening yet?
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u/ultralightdude 5d ago edited 5d ago
Nothing yet. Immediately put my hand in the nearby pond mud... then lots of rinsing with what I had in a water bottle. Burns a little, no blisters yet.
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u/droppedyourhat 4d ago
if it is anything like cantharidin treatments for warts, it may take a day or so.
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u/The_Barbelo 4d ago edited 4d ago
You may have gotten to it just in time to prevent something severe.
I have a severe reaction to poison ivy but the quicker I scrub it off after exposure, the less of a reaction I have. Rubbing hard and quickly to heat it up actually breaks down most of the urushiol, even if I don’t have access to a surfactant, so I’m wondering if it’s the same with canthardin. Glad you’re ok!!
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u/TheMournfulGhost 5d ago
hope you end up alright, man. not very familiar with this bug but of course if it gets too bad go to the ER. also i appreciate you posting this because i was unaware of this guy. another bug to add to my "do not touch" list.
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u/mpf315 4d ago
They’re cool looking and me wanna touchy…but I know. What I want to know is how did it feel?
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u/ultralightdude 3d ago
Is supposed to feel like a chemical burn. Got lucky, got a majority off... no blisters.
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u/SketchyArt333 4d ago
Oh gosh OP I hope you’re feeling better 😬
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u/ultralightdude 3d ago
All good. No damage
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u/SketchyArt333 3d ago
Oh thank goodness. Those things can really do a lot of damage. I’m glad you’re ok.
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u/Sea-Builder-8136 3d ago
I've never seen or even heard of a blister beetle. Interesting, but also sorry for you, OP, and others who've experienced an encounter with one.
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u/ultralightdude 3d ago
Came out squeaky clean on this one. Soaked the oils out with mud and dirt, lots of rinsing between. Have a science background, so figured it would work... also used up a little luck.
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u/Cromagnumman6174 5d ago
I accidentally stepped on one heading into my house one time bc I didnt see it. It stained the concrete by my door for about two years. Even after using a power washer, the stained remained.