PAEDERUS BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE): an URBAN PROBLEM in IRAN

Abstract:
There are epidemics of dermatitis linearis in various parts of Iran every year during spring and summer, especially in the northern provinces along the Caspian Sea shores. This kind of dermatitis is induced by the genus Paederus (Coleoptera: Staphyli,nidae) and its highest incidence is from June to August. Collections of many of these insects during the last three years led to identification of Paederus ilsae Bernhauer and P. iliensis Coiffait in the south, and P. fuscipes Curtis, P. kalalovae Roubal, P. balcanicus Koch, andP. lenkoranus Scheerpeltz along the Caspian Sea shores. Only Paederusspp. (sensu lato) are known to cause dermatitis linearis, and not all of them do so; other Staphylinidae do not have such capability. Typical symptoms of dermatitis linearis are erythema, and vesicle and squamose formation. The symptoms are so acute that hundreds of people seek help in clinics every year. Most lesions appear on the face, neck, and around the eyes. There is no efficient treatment in local clinics. In the south, P. ilsae causes most of the problem. In the north, the relative importance of the four species has not yet been discerned.