@WeightedAbyss75 Popular folklore is that they mix two chemicals together that react and get very hot and burn you.
Wikipedia says they spray "Cantharidin, a poisonous chemical that causes blistering of the skin, is used medically to remove warts[1] and is collected for this purpose from species of the genera Mylabris and Lytta, especially Lytta vesicatoria, better known as "Spanish fly"."
@PidderPeets "Don't touch though!"... Too late
They are too interesting not to touch! They do, however, have the ability to secrete a substance that causes blisters on the skin and, if ingested, poisoning (I doubt they could kill a grown person, but a little boy apparently ended up in the ICU after licking his fingers - no, not the box with the paper towels, get that image out of your head !)
@WeightedAbyss75 From what I recall, it's more like just secreting chemicals from their joints that cause irritation and blistering if touched. Nothing as neat as shooting acid
@Eva They look too much like ants to me. Definitely not my cup of tea. But hey, if you're fine touching those weird little suckers, go for it! I can't tell you what to do. Lol
They get smashed all over the highway and leave orange spots on the road. Not an easy specimen to pin. I have one in my (dead) bug collection that shriveled up. I guess it needs to be hollowed out and blown up with air before being dried out.
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