Paederus mexicanus

Erichson, 1840

mexicanus is a in the , first described by Erichson in 1840. The Paederus is notable for containing that produce , a potent vesicant compound in their that causes dermatitis and blistering on human skin upon contact. As a member of the Paederus genus, this species likely shares this defensive chemical trait, though species-specific documentation is limited. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Paederus mexicanus by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Paederus mexicanus: /ˈpædərəs ˌmɛksɪˈkeɪnəs/

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Distribution

Documented from Arizona, USA and Mexico. Distribution records are sparse, with only 22 observations recorded on iNaturalist as of source date.

Human Relevance

Members of the , including potentially P. mexicanus, are known for causing Paederus dermatitis (also called ) when crushed against human skin. The contains , a toxic that causes severe blistering, burning, and linear . This medical significance has been documented for related such as P. fuscipes, which was historically used as a biological weapon. Direct evidence for P. mexicanus specifically is not documented in provided sources.

More Details

Toxicity note

While the is well-known for production, -level confirmation of for P. mexicanus is not explicitly documented in available sources. The toxic properties are inferred from genus-level characteristics.