this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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Teen dies after injecting himself with butterfly remains — possibly as part of twisted online challenge (nypost.com)
submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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A 14-year-old Brazilian boy died after injecting himself with butterfly remains — with police investigating whether it was part of a twisted online challenge, according to a report.

Davi Nunes Moreira started to vomit and then developed a limp after mixing a dead butterfly in water and injecting the liquid into his leg, according to the DailyMail.

The teen told his dad he hurt himself while playing — but then confessed what really happened when he continued growing sicker and was admitted to a hospital in Planalto, the report said.

His dad also found the syringe his son had used hidden under the boy’s pillow, according to the report.

Davi was rushed to another hospital in Vitoria de Conquista, the state of Bahia’s third-largest city, on Wednesday, but succumbed to his injuries.

The mysterious death — linked to possible toxins in the butterfly mix that caused his body to shut down as he went into septic shock — is making headlines across Brazil.

...

However, authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the boy was participating in an unusual social media craze that proved fatal, the report said.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They can do depending on what they eat - the article mentions that one possible suspect data milkweed. This isn't uncommon - a lot of daytime moths, like the Cinnabar and 5 Spot Burnett, eat ragwort almost exclusively which is so hepatotoxic that you have to clear it away from field edges if you have horses. It is a good tactic as it makes them unpleasant to eat and their black and red markings are clear danger warnings.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Yes and monarch butterflies eat milkweed which makes them toxic to eat. I think a lot of butterflies’ vibrant coloured markings are honest warning signals.