> A friend recommended a [BYU lecture by Mary Robinette Kowal](https://click.mailerlite.com/link/c/YT0xNDg5Njk1NTk0NTA2MDk4NTI4JmM9YjVmMiZiPTM4OTMzNTgyNiZkPXc3ejNqM2k=.0WlTn_sfiR3volt3e5pPGon11otTDyUN6S-oUfwqjGc) about writing flash fiction. The [[2021-06-02 Beetle Siege (FF)|story I came up with while]] working through the exercises included a magical infestation of toxic beetles... which of course required me to learn about beetles and their toxins. ## Fun Facts - The common firefly is a beetle, not a fly. - Native Australian beetles couldn't break down cow dung, so Australians had to import Egyptian dung beetles. %% tweeted: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EleanorKonik/status/1401722291394945029) %% - Ladybugs fly as high as 3600 ft -- about 1/10th as high as most commercial planes. - Larval beetles are the world's most popular insect to eat as food. ^749c01 - Goliath beetles are popular pets in Japan, where they're sometimes sold from vending machines. ## Blister Beetles Horses that eat hay contaminated by blister beetles can literally die from gastrointestinal complications. [Read more](https://click.mailerlite.com/link/c/YT0xNDg5Njk1NTk0NTA2MDk4NTI4JmM9YjVmMiZiPTM4OTMzNTgyOSZkPWMybjR3OHI=.LM1bTDU1I2vlmJm42oqXPUY3VLrcg7S8mDNzI3vTwMw)! ## Rove Beetles The toxins secreted by rove beetles are more potent than cobra venom; eating them can cause severe internal damage. [Read more](https://click.mailerlite.com/link/c/YT0xNDg5Njk1NTk0NTA2MDk4NTI4JmM9YjVmMiZiPTM4OTMzNTgzMiZkPXUzaDV5MmE=.UqbusN10zpF-6vjyy11gaRRCw6zkjQYd_L9s3ULiEdM). ## Not Roaches Unlike roaches, beetles fold their wings under the wing cases that extend out from their exoskeletons. \[[Read more](https://click.mailerlite.com/link/c/YT0xNDg5Njk1NTk0NTA2MDk4NTI4JmM9YjVmMiZiPTM4OTMzNTgzOCZkPWExYTJ5MGI=.osk3f9rYdbKt5r54lPWb5MGQMDOuFseevYDWupwgQz8)\] ## So Many! One out of every four animals on Earth is a beetle. They live basically everywhere on the planet that isn't made of saltwater. \[[Read more](https://click.mailerlite.com/link/c/YT0xNDg5Njk1NTk0NTA2MDk4NTI4JmM9YjVmMiZiPTM4OTMzNTg0NyZkPWs5Yzh2NHU=.0ZNp8cDX4xpFnhYQ1B32ooiUyKaJw3xlXTKHy5dnFxI)\]