| Machaca | ||||||||||||||
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| Fulgora lanternaria Linnaeus, 1758 |
Machaca is a term used in the Amazon region for the lantern fly Fulgora lanternaria. It is as long as 3 inches, has a protuberance at its head that resembles that of a lizard or a serpent, and which was falsely believed to be luminescent. It protects itself by displaying fake eyes on its wings, with its bitter taste to predators, and perhaps with its quite unique head.
In several countries, such as Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, there exists the myth that if somebody is bitten by the machaca, he or she must have sex within 24 hours to prevent an otherwise incurable death. The insect is actually harmless to people.
External links
- Fulgora lanternaria at Clemson University
- These bugs followed the light from the Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute
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