When a soldier ate a beetle after making a bet with colleagues, little did he know he was about to ingest the most poisonous insect on the island. The case of the officer, who is still in hospital, left some people questioning whether Malta’s countryside is safe after all. Claudia Calleja spoke to insect, arachnid and plant experts to understand what else is dangerous out there and found that, while poisonous creatures are rare, they do exist.
Beetles: Malta has about 2,000 species of beetle. The blister beetle, or oil beetle, is one of the rarer kinds and there are eight species of it. Found only in the cold winter time, from December to February, they have a complex lifecycle and adults live for about three weeks. The species found in Malta can be divided into two groups: flying beetles generally found on flowers and non-flying ones found on the ground. All contain a powerful poison, cantharidin, which can be deadly to humans if ingested. If the beetle comes in contact with skin it oozes the oily poison that forms blisters.
Bees: The sting of a honey bee contains a cocktail of about 220 different types of chemicals so it is no wonder that some people react differently to others when stung. Most people get a small swelling but there are a few people who can develop a violent reaction similar to a seizure. So it is best to check if you are allergic to bee stings. The bee’s venom is used for the treatment of various conditions including multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
Spiders and scorpions: There are about 157 recorded species of spiders in Malta. Almost all are venomous but only a very small percentage have poison strong enough to affect humans. Only one species’s venom is strong enough to cause severe symptoms in humans in Malta – the recluse or convict spider just under one centimetre in length. It lives under stones in the countryside but could wander into buildings. It is highly unlikely that humans are bitten by this spider since it is very rarely found in human habitations. The only documented case in Malta was in 2002 when a 35-year-old man was bitten while asleep when he probably squashed the spider in the bedclothes. The spiders’ cousin is the scorpion, of which there is only one species in Malta. It is about five centimetres long but its venom is quite weak.
Moth caterpillars and the usual suspects: Various caterpillars have hairs or sharp spines that may be directly irritating or transmit various toxins causing an irritation when touched. The common vapourer moth, known as Busuf, lives on almond or other fruit trees. Other types of caterpillars such as the ruby tiger, lappet and grass eggar also cause the same reaction. Other types of insects can lead to problems for humans if they happen to be carrying an infection when they bite. These include sandfly, mosquitoes, flees and ticks that are not poisonous as such although their bite leaves a small swelling. They can only be dangerous if infected.
Beware of the bite
Over 60 per cent of living creatures are insects so it is comforting to know that in Malta there are no insects or small land creatures that can kill you with one bite – unless you have a specific allergy. However, there are several species that can cause some form of local inflammation, blistering or swelling. The most dangerous creature out there is the blister beetle that can be deadly, but only if eaten.
Leafy and lethal
The majority of plants in Malta are quite harmless and very few are toxic. However, one must keep in mind that different people might react differently as in the case of nut allergies. The most vulnerable victims are children since they experiment without too much thought.
Castor oil plant: This is the most dangerous of all since its bean-shaped seeds with a marbling pattern can be enticing especially to children. The seeds contain a toxic substance called ricin. In fact the scientific name of the tree is ricinus. Though not necessarily lethal in small doses, if ingested, main symptoms within the first hours are stomach ache, gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhoea and vomiting. Over the course of the first days after exposure, the victim may experience symptoms of dehydration and low blood pressure. The poison was used to kill Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov with a dart filled with ricin that was fired from an umbrella in London in 1978.
Oleander tree: A very common sight on the island, all its parts are highly toxic if eaten. There was a documented case, over 100 years ago, of a fatality when a part of the tree was used as a stirring stick for cooking and one man died from eating the food. There were no recent fatalities. The characteristic poisoning symptoms are nausea, vomiting, accelerated or retarded heartbeat, and cardiac arrest.
Not so innocent: Tomatoes and eggplants seem innocent enough and we are used to seeing them on our plates. But eating their stems of leaves could make you sick. Another common food to be handled with care is the potato – make sure you do not eat it when it is still green. Other than that, you should be fine.
The ground thistle: This grows very close to the earth and, if the soil is displaced, its root is exposed. The sweet tasting root is highly toxic.
Mushrooms: There are over 400 different types of mushrooms on the island of which 20 per cent might be poisonous but only about two types are actually deadly. There is no hard and fast rule to determine what is poisonous. A very rare but very poisonous variety is the Amanita Verna that only appears for a few days but one bite of this mushroom could kill you.
This article was compiled with the assistance of insect expert David Mifsud (beetles, bees, caterpillars and infection-carrying insects), spider expert David Dandria (spiders and scorpions), plant expert Edwin Lanfranco (plants and mushrooms) and biologist Patrick Schembri (general information). Photos are courtesy of Stephen Mifsud through his websites http://maltawildplants.com and http://maltafauna.com .