Hey everyone. Yes, i’m here to blog about Charlie. He’s not my brother, and he’s not my boyfriend or whatever. He’s my enemy! And he must be your enemy too! This Charlie fella is a kind of beetle, a very rare kind of a bug. When i was in Form 5, this stupid bug crawl on my thigh and a wonderful friend of mine slapped on the bug so there were scars on my thigh! And it is not a tiny scar but it was a quite an awful looking one! So i would like to warn u guys about this dangerous thing!

Tonight, just a few minutes ago, this Mr. Charlie came again on my thigh when i was happily singing to calabria 2007 remixed by Enur and MiMs (ahaha, promote) and luckily i didn’t slap on it! I held it and press it in the tissue before showing it to my Mom, Ryan and Chey so that they will know and won’t slap it either! Haha~ The real name of the bug is the Rove Beetle, it was known for its popular name ‘Charlie’ among the boarding school’s students.

(I pick and stole this picture from http://docfiles.blogspot.com/2007/06/paederousrove-beetle-dermatitis.html .)

The haemolymph in the beetle’s entire body (except the wings) contains the most poisonous animal contact toxin in the world called ‘pederin’ (C₂₄ H₄₃ O₉ N) named in 1953. It is 12 times more poisonous than cobra venom ! Dried and stored rove beetle for 8 years still retained it’s toxicity ! Contact collision with the beetle while travelling or sleeping, crushing it on the body or smearing with soiled fingers can cause conjunctivitis and severe dermatitis known as dermatitis linearis, paederus (rove beetle /staphylinidae) dermatitis, whiplash dermatitis etc. In September 2002 an epidemic of dermatitis linearis caused by rove beetles affected thousands of high rise flat dwellers and dormitory students in Penang, Malaysia. Since the beetle is attracted to lights at night, switch off or minimise the lighting and close doors/ windows during the beetle epidemic. Use fine mosquito netting, aerosol insect spray, glue traps etc. Do not sit near lights, do not smash the beetle on the body, just blow it away ! If there is contact with the beetle, immediately wash the affected area with soap and water. Those who suffer severe skin reactions should seek medical attention. (I pick and stole this at : http://docfiles.blogspot.com/2007/06/paederousrove-beetle-dermatitis.html)

So guys! Beware of this hazardous bug!