Middle East DVEP - Armed Forces Pest Management Board

also become attached to the cocoon when the larva pupates, and later to the adult moth.Hairs readily become airborne. If inhaled, detached caterpillar hairs can cause laboredbreathing; if ingested, they can cause mouth irritation. The hairs of some species retaintheir urticating properties long after being shed. Hairs and setae may drop into swimmingpools and irritate swimmers. Acute urticarial lesions usually respond to topicalcorticosteroid lotions and creams, which reduce the inflammatory reaction. Oralhistamines help relieve itching and burning sensations.Contact dermatitis from moth hairs is a limited public health problem in the Middle East.Thaumetopea wilkinsoni, introduced from Cyprus, has caused outbreaks of dermatitis inIsrael. Six hundred of 3,000 Israeli soldiers camped in a pine tree grove developed rashand skin irritation after exposure to hairs of this species.9. Meloidae (blister beetles) and Staphylinidae (rove beetles). Blister beetles aremoderate-sized (10 to 25 mm in length), soft-bodied insects that produce cantharidin intheir body fluids. Cantharidin is a strong vesicant that readily penetrates the skin.Handling or crushing the beetles causes blistering within a few hours of skin contact.Blisters are generally not serious and normally clear within 7 to 10 days. If blister beetlesare ingested, cantharidin can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.Blisters that occur on the feet where they will be rubbed may need to be drained andtreated with antiseptics. Cantharidin was once regarded as an aphrodisiac, and a Europeanspecies of blister beetle was popularly known as Spanish-fly. Troops should be warnedagainst using blister beetles for this purpose.The Staphylinidae, commonly called rove beetles, is another family that produces a strongvesicating substance that causes blistering. Rove beetles are active insects that run or flyrapidly. When running, they frequently raise the tip of the abdomen, much as scorpionsdo. They vary in size, but the largest are about 25 mm in length. Some of the larger rovebeetles can inflict a painful bite when handled. Many species are small (