2023-05-12 01:28:58
Poisonous oil beetles are on the move in parts of Germany. The venom of the blue-black beetle can be deadly. Experts urge caution.
Munich – Temperatures in Germany are gradually rising. Many insects crawl out of their hiding places – including animals like the oil beetle. While most insects are rather harmless, the shiny black-blue beetle is poisonous. After Tiger mosquito, “the most dangerous animal in the world”last August ensured the Praying mantis in Hesse for excitement.
As the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) warns, the poison of the oil beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus) is highly toxic even in low concentrations. Just a few milligrams of the poison (cantharidin) can be deadly for an adult, says Lilith Stelzner, nature conservation officer at the BUND regional association Spiegel. “However, if you behave correctly, nothing happens.” To do this, people need to know how to recognize the oil beetle.
Oil beetle in Germany: size, occurrence, poison – what you need to know about the beetle
According to reports, the poisonous oil bugs are spreading mainly in south-west Germany. According to the Nature Conservation Union (Nabu), there are said to be around 15 species of oil beetles. Many of them along the big rivers like the Rhine, Neckar and Danube. As the daily News reported, a schoolyard, a playground and the outdoor area of a kindergarten in North Rhine-Westphalia have already been closed because of the blue-black beetle.
The domestic oil beetle, also known as the mayworm, plaster beetle and lard beetle, are particularly conspicuous in the months of April and May. But they are not aggressive. What else you should know about the oil beetle:
- 20 species of the oil beetle family live in Central Europe. According to the experts, the purple oil beetle and the black-blue oil beetle are the most frequently sighted in Germany.
- The beetles are around one to three centimeters long and have a stocky body despite their length.
- They feed on wild garlic, lesser celandine, wood anemone and other flowering plants and are therefore often found along roadsides, in gardens and open forests.
- All oil beetles possess cantharidin, a highly potent toxin in warm-blooded animals. In the event of danger, the oily droplets escape from the pores of the knee joints.
- A single female can lay 3,000 to 9,500 eggs five to six times at intervals of one to two weeks in suitable soil. However, the beetles can only reproduce if they meet sand bees. Already at this stage many larvae die. This is because the larvae only develop if they get into the nests of the right host bee species.
- Source: Nabo
Oil beetle in Germany: Beetle is poisonous and considered highly endangered
Oil beetles take about two years to develop, of which they only live a single month as beetles. As mentioned above, which animal becomes a beetle is a matter of luck. Experts estimate that only every thousandth larva becomes an oil beetle. Therefore, the beetles are relatively rare and strictly protected. In Germany they are on the red list of endangered species.
Oil beetles are fascinating because of their color, but should not be touched. Skin contact is not dangerous but uncomfortable. Consequences are mostly redness and blisters. In such a case, the Poison Control Center advises washing your hands thoroughly with soap and cooling the affected areas. It can be really dangerous if you swallow the oil beetle – then the poison control center should be contacted promptly. According to the Nature Conservation Union, no dangerous poisoning of humans or pets has been reported so far. Physical contact with oil beetles should generally be avoided.
Biodiversity is essential for human survival. Biologists provided one surprising biodiversity in Schönwald firmly. A total of 172 arthropod species were detected there within eight weeks two years ago. However, according to the World Biodiversity Council, IPBES are among the estimated eight million animal and plant species on earth a million threatened with extinction. (vw)
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