A woman has taken to social media to warn people of an insect that is poisonous to humans, which aroused widespread concern on Chinese social media. "I'm nearly disfigured by a rove beetle", the woman said with a picture of her showing some brown spots on the face.

Rove beetles have similar appearance to ants when they are crawling on the ground but they are actually not ants — they are a species of beetle in the Paederus genus.

These beetles are six-legged creatures ranging from 1cm to 3.5cm long and have distinctive orange bodies with a black head, abdomen, and tip.

These insects have wings and can fly. Their wings are hidden beneath the black part of their abdomens and they often look like wasps when they are in the air.However, most surprising of all, these rove beetles do not bite or sting.

Instead, they are dangerous only when humans try to crush them, causing them to release of a toxin called paederin.

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 taken care of properly.

Use mosquito netting, aerosol insect spray, or glue traps to catch and kill the bugs.

If a rove beetle lands on your body, do not squash it. Blow it away.

If the rove beetle is crushed on your skin, wash the affected area immediately with soap and water.

Seek medical attention immediately if you suffer a severe skin reaction after an encounter with the insect.