this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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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] 5 points 3 days ago

after mixing a dead butterfly in water and injecting the liquid into his leg

Let’s zoom in on this one a little bit:

…mixing a dead butterfly in water and injecting it…

A bit more and slightly cropped:

…water and injecting it

Now let’s sort for a conclusion:

…injecting water

THERE WE GO.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

This sounds like someone asked ChatGPT to come up with a headline to scare anxious moms.

“BILLY, ARE YOU INJECTING YOURSELF WITH DEAD BUTTERFLY REMAINS??? IS THIS WHY YOU DROPPED OUT OF MARCHING BAND—TO CHASE THE MONARCH DRAGON WITH YOUR XBOX FRIENDS?!?!?”

“OH DARYL, I THINK OUR LITTLE BILLY IS FREEBASING BLUE MORPHOS AFTER SCHOOL AND IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE IS TURNING TRICKS ON THE STREET TO BLAST HIS SKAGS ON BANANA SLUGS LACED WITH POWDERED MEXICAN EARWIG DUST?!?!?”

“ITS ALL MY FAULT, I NEVER SHOULD HAVE LET HIM WATCH ANT-MAN!”

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago

"CABBAGE WHITES TURNED MY SON INTO A CABBAGE"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

"Dead butterfly remains"

That's like saying someone was killed to death. You can't have one without the other. Remains already says it's dead.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I'm always torn as to what to think when I read stories like this. I'm all for stupid people removing themselves from the gene pool, but at what age does it become suitable to declare a Darwin Award as opposed to a tragedy involving a kid too young to know better?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I learned from high school biology class around that age that injecting random shit into your blood isn't a good idea when I asked "what would happen if you just injected air in someone" and got the answer "they would die from an embolism."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

I mean, I was 14 once, and I have 0 butterflies in my bloodstream. I'd say that should be old enough to know better..

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

My personal opinion is that a 14 year old should know not to inject things into their veins because it's dangerous.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (4 children)

I love how people are kinda tip toeing around if this should be considered a Darwin award or not.

We all know if they were 18+ we would be shitting on them for being fucking idiots.

I think them being 14 and doing something like this falls almost entirely on their parents. Like 10% the kid and 90% the parents for not teaching their child the critical thinking required not to do stupid shit like injecting random insects into their leg.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

Honestly, this feels like one of these things you can't even teach someone. Even at 14 years old, I never would have injected something into myself. I'd know only doctors or trained medical personnel should do that unless it was an epi pen.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

I’m sorry, but there is so much confusion and chaos hitting this current generation of both parents and their children, that needing to have the “don’t inject yourself with butterfly remains” talk is not something many people are thinking about.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

If you kill your kid, or raise them so stupid they kill themselves, and I guess if they're your only kid, then it still is a Darwin award for the parents yeah?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

TBF, how many parents would it ever even enter their minds that anyone would do something like that and need to be warned not to? "Son, it's time we talked about the birds and the bees, oh and also the butterflies--don't ever inject those."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

It's not really that specific thing, but more the lack of critical thinking and safety that a 14 year old should have. They failed to raise a child with the brainpower to know why they shouldnt do something like that.

My parents left me home alone at 12. I was expected to cook food and take care of myself. I could chop wood and light the fire.

I could have more understanding if this kid was like 10, but by 14 you should already know not to inject yourself with random shit.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

The boy kept the syringe under his pillow? This story reads like an urban legend

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Back in my day it was smoking banana peels or drinking ground nutmeg in milk (no don't bother trying) and all I got was some unpleasant burps.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 days ago

Now it’s the torch your dick in kerosine challenge?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

We used to smoke cinnamon sticks. Good times.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That sounds unpleasant but at least whatever you cough up will taste nice.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Well, it tasted of cinnamon, at least.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

That's Malcolm x tea.

Helps with withdrawals

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I wouldn't have been able to gain access to a syringe at that age

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Syringes I could get, I used them all the time for applying glue. It's needles that weren't easy to come by.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

You can just buy them online

I bought like 400 injection needles the other day.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm not sure you could buy them online when I was 14.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Well it's not the 1900s anymore old man

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

And how's that going for ya?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Not great honestly...

But at least I have injection needles!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

You could buy them from mail order catalogues back then. Just sayin'.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I didn't have a credit card until I was 23

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago

Lot of places out side of the US let you pay in cash on pickup

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I didn't realize butterflies contained toxins. I thought you could eat most bugs

[–] [email protected] 46 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Eating and directly injecting in your bloodstream are not the same thing

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago

I inject bread and am never hungy.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

They did say toxins in the butterfly mix and I think it is unlikely that a 14yo would be grabbing distilled or RO water for his secret experiment. Not saying it wasn't something to do with the butterfly, but the water alone may have been enough.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You're right, iirc tap water does contain bacteria, except that it's bacteria our stomach has no trouble killing

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

Stomach yes, but that is an inhospitable environment, directly into the blood stream or even into the subcutaneous tissue and muscles, probably a very good way to get sepsis.

[–] [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.