First Reported Case of Fatal Stinging by the Large Carpenter Bee Xylocopa tranquebarica

Abstract

In the order Hymenoptera, bees, hornets, and wasps are well-known stinging insects whose envenoming can be fatal. Their stinging attacks are common in rural and forested areas of Sri Lanka. However, fatal stinging by the large-bodied carpenter bees is unreported. We report the first known case of a fatal sting by the large carpenter bee, Xylocopa tranquebarica, in a forested area in Puttalam (North Western Province) in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. A 59-year-old healthy male manual laborer accompanied by a fellow worker had been fixing a fence on a coconut estate bordering a forested area when a flying insect emerged from a dead tree trunk and stung him on his face. His coworker, who was watching the incident, killed the insect. The victim complained of immediate intense pain in the face and collapsed on the ground just after resuming work after 10 minutes of resting. He was found dead on admission to the hospital 90 minutes later. Autopsy showed normal coronary arteries and heart, but the lungs were slightly congested and contained secretions in the bronchi. Acute anaphylaxis was the most likely cause of death. This case presents the habitat, morphology, attack pattern, and the medical importance of large carpenter bees.

Venom profile of the European carpenter bee Xylocopa violacea: Evolutionary and applied considerations on its toxin components

“…An ironic sidenote here is that the males behaviourally put on quite a show by darting and buzzing very menacingly towards potential aggressors despite actually being stingless and only mimicking a female's stinging attack. The only human fatality reported following envenomation by Xylocopa was from Sri Lanka, but even that one case was later attributed to an unfortunate anaphylactic shock ( Kularatne et al, 2016 ).

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Allergy to stings and bites from rare or locally important arthropods: worldwide distribution, available diagnostics, and treatment

“…However, a fatal case after a Xylocopa tranquebarica sting has been reported in Sri Lanka. 12 Three allergens have been isolated in Xylocopa appendiculata ; a PLA2 similar to that of bumblebees and honey bees, and two melittinlike peptides. 13 Currently, none of the allergens is WHO/IUIS (World Health Organization and International Union of Immunological Societies) accredited.…”

A glimpse of fever, bites, and stings from bed to the bench: A journey through decades

“…With the help of JMO Puttalam, all details were uncovered, and the offending insect was secured and identified as a wild carpenter bee, in collaboration with the Department of Zoology, University of Peradeniya. 32…”