How to Write 蝥 (máo) — Meaning “Spanish fly / Blister beetle”

Imagine a beetle (虫) holding a spear (矛) and striking with its hand (攵) — this aggressive action reminds you that the blister beetle is harmful. The pinyin 'máo' also sounds like 'mao' as in 'attack', reinforcing the idea.

Write the left radical 虫 (3 strokes) first, then the right part 敄. The right part consists of 矛 (5 strokes) followed by 攵 (4 strokes); be careful to write the hook of 矛 clearly. A common mistake is to mix up the order of strokes in 敄 — always finish the spear shape before adding the tapping hand.

蝥 has the right component 敄, while 蛸 has 肖 (meaning 'similar' or 'small'). Visually, 蝥 looks more complex with a spear and hand. In meaning, 蝥 refers to a blister beetle, whereas 蛸 often refers to a spider or a mantis's egg case.

蝥 is rarely used alone and appears mainly in the compound 斑蝥, referring to the blister beetle used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is not part of HSK vocabulary and is considered a specialized character. Culturally, 斑蝥素 (cantharidin) is known as 'Spanish fly', a toxic substance with historical use as an aphrodisiac.

Common words containing 蝥 include: 斑蝥 (bān máo) — Blister beetle; 斑蝥素 (bān máo sù) — Cantharidin; 捉斑蝥 (zhuō bān máo) — to catch blister beetles.