@Nathan6692 20 February 2021 more from that month

Blister Beetles Blister beetles produce a compound called cantharidin, which is sometimes used for wart removal. “It’s fantastic if a bird tries to eat the beetle because it can cause convulsions. But that’s not the reason humans have had an interest in it,” Rivers says. People have been interested in the beetle since the 1800s because it (cantharidin, not the beetle, although they are quite attractive) is a purported aphrodisiac What they didn't realize was that the cantharidin was actually destroying the lining of their digestive tract. Externally the cantharidin might just cause a severe dermatitis reaction. But digesting the beetle could lead to death. Blister Beatle treads on gravel. So instead of digesting them, people were licking the beetles for the cantharidin. “Usually when I have this discussion with students, I tell them there was an all-girl band in the 1980s called the Go Gos. They started as a punk band and when they started, they couldn't get any respect,” Rivers says. “So the way that they showed that they were tough, they would go and lick the toilets in the concert venue and then they would go perform. If that’s how you’re going to prove you’re tough, licking a beetle might not seem like such a bad idea.” #info #EverythingsInfo