Otus the Head Cat

Hercules beetle a bigger threat than kissing bug

Dear Otus,

All I hear about lately is this so-called kissing bug that's come up from Texas. What's all the fuss about and why isn't anybody alarmed over the giant Colombian beetles that have taken over South Arkansas?

-- Dirk Thomas,

Owen

My Dear Dirk,

It was wholly a pleasure to hear from you, and thanks for the opportunity to put all this kissing bug paranoia to rest.

That is not to dismiss the potential danger of the "kissing bug" should the species ever actually become a problem in Arkansas.

The black and orange spotted critters, about the size of a penny, carry a dangerous parasitic hemoflagellate protozoan known as Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease (or American trypanosomiasis). "Chagas" is a Portuguese word meaning wounds.

It is possible to have moderate to severe allergic responses to the kissing bug. Reactions range from skin irritation and redness to (in extremely rare cases) anaphylactic shock requiring immediate medical attention.

In the vast majority of cases, symptoms from an infected bite are similar to those of a common cold -- fever, sluggishness, body aches -- and cured by Mentholatum and a few verses of "Soft Kitty."

Kissing bugs (so-called because they like to suck victims on the face while they sleep) are members of Triatominae, a subfamily of Reduviidae, and are also known as conenose bugs, assassin bugs, or triatomines. They are indigenous to Central and South America, where they are known as chinche besucona, chipo, barberio and vinchuca.

The bugs have been spotted in Texas, but only one of the 11 species -- Triatoma osculumfoetidum -- has been identified in extreme southwest Arkansas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Predilection.

For those who are into precise coordinate reference systems using protocol independence, the insect was found at Geo Uniform Resource Identifier location 33.425, -94.042778. You can Google the number to pinpoint the exact spot on a map.

Officials had to use forensics entomology to determine the precise species because a janitor at the federal facility at that location smushed the bug with a mop handle before calling authorities.

Arkansas Department of Health spokesman Nathaniel Hazen said last week that there's little cause for concern.

"People should be aware of the bug, but not overly concerned," Hazen said. "We have never had a single case of Chagas disease in Arkansas that was acquired in Arkansas -- and only a couple the past two years among travelers coming from Texas."

Erring on the side of caution, the Red River Arkansas Welcome Center on North State Line Avenue in Texarkana and the Texarkana Welcome Center on Interstate 30 East have instituted an education program for vehicles arriving from Texas.

The program, which began Friday and will run through Aug. 31, will require travelers to pull over for a cursory vehicle inspection and a complimentary underbody synthetic pyrethroid spray. Visitors will also watch a 90-second video on the dangers of Chagas and how to avoid contact with the insect.

While in Arkansas, travelers from Texas will be advised to sleep beneath mosquito netting, avoid kissing and not venture out just after sunset, when the bugs are most active.

Yes, Dirk, there has been a dearth of information concerning the growing problem of giant Colombian Hercules beetles (Gigas bruchus) that have swamped south Arkansas from De Queen to DeWitt.

Imported in the late '90s as a novelty combination fishing lure and hook, the 7-inch beetles escaped into the wild, thrived and all but wiped out indigenous species.

The 3-ounce bug can lift 850 times its weight, meaning it can move objects up to 159.4 pounds! That places children, adults, pets and outdoor furniture in jeopardy.

Most frightening is that the creature is shockingly allometric and hideously sexually dimorphic. The male beetle's razor-sharp 3.5-inch horn can puncture tin cans and deflate automobile tires.

Not normally aggressive (fortunately), the Gigas bruchus is attracted to bright white surfaces (such as shirts) and their tough exoskeletons resist force up to a hard-swung ball-peen hammer.

Until next time, Kalaka reminds you to remain perfectly still should you become the victim of a swarm (called a crash) of Hercules beetles. They'll move on after 30 to 45 minutes.

Disclaimer

Fayetteville-born Otus the Head Cat's award-winning column of

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HomeStyle on 08/23/2014

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