Striped blister beetle

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This beetle is poisonous rather than venomous, as it does not bite or sting. It contains cantharidin, a toxic compound that causes blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. In horses, a dose of about one milligram per kilogram of body weight is toxic, and eating 30 to 50 beetles can be fatal. Symptoms include blisters and ulcers of the mouth, pawing, stretching, diarrhoea, and low blood calcium and magnesium.1

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Cantharidin has been known to cause deaths, particularly of horses. Even two to five beetles can cause colic in horses, and hay containing crushed beetles can make animals ill. Cattle and sheep are less affected but can still show some symptoms. Frogs that eat these beetles keep the poison, so eating frog legs from beetle-fed frogs could cause poisoning, as little as 200 grams could contain a potentially fatal dose.1