Soldato
- Joined
- 23 May 2005
- Posts
- 2,964
- Location
- Auckland, New Zealand
I wonder if anyone can help me on this one.. I've been googling for about an hour but can't find out what it was.
While on holiday (in Slovenia) my girlfriend sat down on some grass and was stung by something on her calf - a defensive reaction to her sitting on it I guess!
Description:
I wasn't there at the time so didn't see it for myself. Apparently it was still attached to her after the sting. A brown "slimy" slug-like creature that curled up after the sting, approx 1-2cm in length and a seemingly smooth body. After she pulled it off, it also left a stinger in her leg which she also had to pull out. The stinger was sufficiently large to be grasped at with finger and thumb quite easily.
Symptoms:
The sting was very painful (probably about as harsh as a bee sting, or perhaps a bit more).
The sting didn't show much signs of a reaction until the next day, where a circular (5cm diameter) red, slightly swollen area had formed. Over the next few days this area reddened and then turned quite purple. After this, the swelling has gone down and its been going a lighter shade of red ever since, as the reaction slowly dies. It is still visible and the same size now, 15 days later.
Does anyone have any idea what the bug might have been? I'm absolutely stumped. I've never heard of anything like it myself. I've been bitten by a leech but they don't sting or hurt. I've looked at caterpillars but I'm pretty sure she would have recognised it if it had been one (bristles etc). Furthermore, the only insect i can find that apparently leaves its stinger behind is a bee, which I'm sure she also would have recognised
NOTE: Please do not offer medical advice - I'm interested only in the insect. We're pretty confident the sting is fading now and will let it run its natural course.
While on holiday (in Slovenia) my girlfriend sat down on some grass and was stung by something on her calf - a defensive reaction to her sitting on it I guess!
Description:
I wasn't there at the time so didn't see it for myself. Apparently it was still attached to her after the sting. A brown "slimy" slug-like creature that curled up after the sting, approx 1-2cm in length and a seemingly smooth body. After she pulled it off, it also left a stinger in her leg which she also had to pull out. The stinger was sufficiently large to be grasped at with finger and thumb quite easily.
Symptoms:
The sting was very painful (probably about as harsh as a bee sting, or perhaps a bit more).
The sting didn't show much signs of a reaction until the next day, where a circular (5cm diameter) red, slightly swollen area had formed. Over the next few days this area reddened and then turned quite purple. After this, the swelling has gone down and its been going a lighter shade of red ever since, as the reaction slowly dies. It is still visible and the same size now, 15 days later.
Does anyone have any idea what the bug might have been? I'm absolutely stumped. I've never heard of anything like it myself. I've been bitten by a leech but they don't sting or hurt. I've looked at caterpillars but I'm pretty sure she would have recognised it if it had been one (bristles etc). Furthermore, the only insect i can find that apparently leaves its stinger behind is a bee, which I'm sure she also would have recognised
NOTE: Please do not offer medical advice - I'm interested only in the insect. We're pretty confident the sting is fading now and will let it run its natural course.
![[FnG]magnolia](/styles/overclockers/avatars/9.png){kind=avatar}
, I told her she should have got a picture, but she was in a blind state of panic at the time. You know girls.
