Case Studies on Sting Dermatitis by Bethylid Wasp, Cephalonomia gallicola (Ashmead, 1887) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Found in Okayama, Japan
Four human cases of sting dermatitis (28-year-old woman, 27-year-old woman, 43-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy) by bethylid wasps from Tatami-mats in Okayama Prefecture are reported. An appreciable number of itching edematous erythema appeared on skin surface of the extremity and trunk of the patients during June to July from 1982 to 1990. Itching erythema of the patients seemed somewhat like punctured wounds by small arthropod, and two kinds of small insects were found. On insectological observation both adult female and winged adult male bethylid wasps, Cephalonomia gallicola (Ashmead, 1887) for agential pest, and the other adult of Death-Watch beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) for parasitic host for the C gallicola larvae were identified. After spraying 0.2% pyrethrin oil solution on the Tatami-mats, the agential insects almost disappeared within a few days. The patients were treated with single or double application of Celestamine, Topsym cream and Eurax ointment, and the skin lesions completely healed two weeks after the treatment.
