Comment on: “Epidemiological Study of Insect Bite Reactions from Central India”

Sir,

I read with great interest an article by Kar et al. “Epidemiological study of insect bite reactions from Central India,” published in the 2013 September-October; 58(5) issue of Indian Journal of Dermatology.[1]

In this retrospective study, the authors have identified some risk factors about the insect bites reaction and have made a significant contribution to the literature. In the article, some arthropods leading to insect bite reactions are discussed, and some clinical pictures of these reactions were used.

Although, numerous members belonging to various families (such as Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera) cause insect bite reactions, paederus species (Order: Coleoptera, family: Staphylinidae, and genus: Staphylinae) do not cause such reactions.

Paederus dermatitis is not an insect bite reaction, but true dermatitis as it is produced by crushing and wiping the insect on the skin. The clinical picture which is used by the authors as an example is typical whiplash lesion and kissing lesion of paederus dermatitis.

Paederus species do not bite or sting humans and do not cause any reactions on the skin unless they are crushed. However, when beetles which becomes active at night and toward the artificial light crushed by the people to accidentally or in order to send away, reveal an irritant named “paederin” which was contained in the body fluids because of its fragile structures.

This potent irritant causes a characteristic irritant contact dermatitis 12–24 h after contact with the skin. The cause of both symmetric and whip-lash lesions, and also the complaint of itching, burning, and stinging expressed by the patient is these irritants. Therefore, paederus dermatitis cannot be considered as an insect bite reaction.