Charlie ants’ are actually not ants, they are a species of beetle known as rove beetles.
These beetles thrive in moist habitats such as crop fields, riverbanks, drains, pools, and canals. With hot weather and human activities that disrupt their natural habitat such as harvesting or ploughing of rice fields, rove beetles reproduce and leave in massive infestations to nearby residential areas.
They are attracted to fluorescent lights so they will often invade brightly-lit buildings.
But these dangerous rove beetles do not bite or sting. Instead, accidentally crushing them on human skin causes them to release of a toxin called paederin, which is highly toxic towards human beings and more potent than cobra venom.
The toxin found in the fluid of their bodies burns the skin and causes dermatitis linearis – a painful rash that is red and itchy and may develop into blisters if not careful.
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