Studies on Paederus alfierii Koch (Coleoptera:Staphylinidae) with special reference to the medical importance

In Egypt, the rove beetle; Paederus alfierii Koch, is an active predator of several insects pests attacking a wide variety of cultivated plants as maize, cotton, clover ... etc. On the other hand, members of genus Paederus contain pederin (potent toxin) which in contact with human skin causes a necrotizing lesion (dermatitis linearis) and with the eye causes conjunctivitis. After the sudden flood of the year 1994, this beetle attacked a factory and about forty factors suffered a form of contact dermatitis and conjunctivitis. The majority of such factors needed hospitalization. To fill the gap in the knowledge of medical importance on such a predator, the present investigation was aimed. The aqueous extract from twenty wild collected adults (0.0101 gm) was tested on different groups of albino mice. No cutaneous reaction was seen macroscopically. On the other hand, another group of mice (3/4) showed mild conjunctival congestion faded on the next day. However, these experimental findings do not indicate the innocence of this rove-beetle from being harmful to man. The discussion was given on the light of work done abroad.