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Skin Eruptions Caused by Beetles (Coleoptera)

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Arthropods and Human Skin

Abstract

Beetles of various species, particularly those whose body fluids possess blistering properties, are liable to cause cutaneous problems in man. There are so many different species involved and the order Coleoptera is so large that any dermatologist or other physician who is not an expert in entomology can only be expected to recognise the insect concerned as a beetle. This is not particularly difficult as far as adults of the species are concerned, the characteristic elytra (the hard chitinised first pair of wings modified to form wing Covers) being instantly recognisable. With larvae the problem is not so easy. Coleopterous larvae resemble those of Diptera and Lepidoptera but with certain characteristic differences, which are well summarised by Smith (1973). Beetle larvae have three pairs of thoracic legs, each ending in a claw. Each also has a head capsule. Lepidopterous larvae have, in addition, pseudopods on the third to sixth segments and on the tenth segment (except for Geometridae which have pseudopods only on the sixth and tenth segments). Dipterous larvae have no legs and an incomplete head capsule.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Glasgow, UK

    John O’Donel Alexander MB, ChB, FRCP (Glasgow) (Emeritus Consultant Dermatologist, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Lately Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Dermatology)

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  1. John O’Donel Alexander MB, ChB, FRCP (Glasgow)
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© 1984 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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O’Donel Alexander, J. (1984). Skin Eruptions Caused by Beetles (Coleoptera). In: Arthropods and Human Skin. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1356-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1356-0_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1358-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-1356-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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