Diamphidia nigroornata

Diamphidia nigroornata
Diamphidia nigroornata (Bushman arrow-poison beetle)
Scientific classification
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Polyphaga
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D. nigroornata
Binomial name
Diamphidia nigroornata
Stål, 1858

Diamphidia nigroornata or Bushman arrow-poison beetle, is an African leaf beetle species in the genus Diamphidia.

The larvae and pupae of Diamphidia produce a toxin used by San people as an arrow poison. The Finnish explorer Hendrik Jacob Wikar, who travelled in Southern Africa in 17731779, described the larvae as "poisonous worms". Hans Schinz was the first scientist to document the process by which the San people extract and use the poison.

The adults and larvae of Diamphidia nigroornata feed on Commiphora angolensis.

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