Jequitiranabóia, the flying snake

Dear Editor:

Jequitiranabóias are winged, nocturnal insects of the order Homoptera, Family Fulgoridae, and genus Fulgora (Linnaeus, 1758)^1-3. The most common species is Fulgora laternaria. They belong to a group of cicadas that are known by a variety of names, including tiranabóias, machacas (Spanish), flying snakes, alligator-headed lantern fly, lantern bugs, and peanut-headed bugs (English)¹. They are often sighted throughout the tropics of South America^2,3.

These insects are around 8cm in diameter when the wings are closed and twice this size when the wings are open. The cephalic segment has a unique chitinous formation that resembles the head of a reptile (alligator or snake) with false teeth (Figure 1). This structure may exhibit bioluminescence, which reinforces the perception that these insects are dangerous. They also have ocelli on the hind wings, which simulate the eyes of a bird and repels predators. When on the ground, they walk back and to the side^2,3.

FIGURE 1:
The jequitiranabóia, or flying snake, has a reptile-like head, and the ocelli contribute to the perception that this insect is dangerous even though it is a harmless cicada.

In wilderness regions, many believe the insect is extremely dangerous and highly venomous. Indigenous legends claim that if the insect lands on a person or tree, its venom will cause the tree or the human to dry out and die⁴. In Costa Rica, jungle dwellers believe that if a young person is stung by this insect, they must have sex within 24h or they will die³. The creed may originate from the insects’ formidable appearance and since they usually land on dry trunks⁵.

These insects are found in forests and are greatly feared by inhabitants and workers in the forests. The ideas about this insect were likely inherited from the Indians; in the Tupi-Guarani language, iaki means cicada, rana means alike, and mboia is the word for snake. The cicada-snake feeds on vegetable sap and fruit nectar with a sucking device, which is considered a stinger but is devoid of venom and is actually harmless.

The fear and lack of information about these insects can cause problems when people come in contact with the insect. There are reports of administering antiofidic serum to patients exposed to the insect, which is without basis or reason⁵. It is important to make the general population and health personnel aware that this insect is harmless, and there are no negative consequences if one comes in contact with the insect^4-6.

Acknowledgment

We would like to acknowledge Mr. Romnei Sérgio Pereira for providing essential information that helped prepare this text.

REFERENCES

• ¹
  Branner JC. The reputation of the lantern fly. Am Nat. 1885;19(9):835-38.
• ²
  Costa-Neto EM. Fatos reais e lendários sobre a jequitiranabóia. Ciênc Hoje. 2004;34(201):66-8.
• ³
  Costa-Neto EM. Fulgora laternaria, Linnaeus 1758 (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) na concepção dos moradores do Povoado de Pedra Branca, Santa Therezinha, Bahia, Brasil. Rev Ciênc Amb (RCA). 2007;1(1):35-56.
• ⁴
  Cardoso JLC, França FOS, Wen FH, Malaque CMS, Haddad Jr V. Animais Peçonhentos no Brasil. 2^ª edição. São Paulo: Editora Sarvier; 2009. 488p.
• ⁵
  Haddad Jr V, Amorim PCH, Haddad Jr WT, Cardoso JLC. Venomous and poisonous arthropods: identification, clinical manifestations of envenomation, and treatments used in human injuries. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2017;48(6):650-7.
• ⁶
  Haddad Jr V, Cardoso JL, Lupi O, Tyring SK. Tropical dermatology: venomous arthropods and human skin: part I: Insecta. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012;67(3):331.e1-14.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Jul-Aug 2018

History

• Received
  29 Jan 2018
• Accepted
  18 July 2018