I got a blister bug wound! It isn't a "bite" because they don't bite but rather secrete their nasty blister-juice. I had heard of these, but after 6 years in Mali this is the first time I've had one myself. I didn't see the bug (actually a beetle), though I may have squished it to make it do this to me. Often a blister bug wound will be a long line and mine is round, but I am pretty sure that it's from a blister bug. The stuff they put out is called "cantharidin" and it blisters one's skin because it's a poisonous chemical. So what I have is a second-degree acid burn. And it's really painful! This picture is after 5 days of suffering. That is the side of my leg/knee in case you're wondering.
Here is what Malian blister beetles look like. I didn't take this photo, just found it when I did research. I was trying to see what I might possibly be able to do to relieve the pain of this blistery wound. There isn't much that's very helpful to do but wait, but I felt a little better by reading that it is a burn and that burns are the most painful kind of wound. So me thinking that this hurts terribly is justified. The poison of this bug is so strong that horses and other animals can die if they eat it!
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