When do insect bites peak in Brazil?
Across 34,628 verified records for Brazil, biting and stinging activity concentrates in November to December — December alone accounts for 17% of sightings, and June is the quietest month of the year. Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, so this runs opposite to the European and North American season.
The year, month by month
| Month | Activity | Share | Mostly |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| February | 5% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| March | 6% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| April | 7% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| May | 6% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian recluse spider, Honey bee | |
| June | 5% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian recluse spider, Honey bee | |
| July | 7% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian recluse spider, Honey bee | |
| August | 10% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian recluse spider, Honey bee | |
| September | 9% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| October | 8% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| November | 15% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider | |
| December | 17% | Aedes mosquito, Brazilian yellow scorpion, Brazilian recluse spider |
Calculated from GBIF biodiversity records for Brazil, snapshot 2026-07-27. Records reflect when people observe and report specimens, which tracks activity closely but is not the same as how often anyone gets bitten. See our methodology.
What actually bites you in Brazil
Brazil is the one market here where the most dangerous things are not the ones that itch. Scorpion stings run to well over a hundred thousand notified cases a year, concentrated in cities rather than the countryside, and children are the group at real risk. Dengue is the other defining feature: it is transmitted by a mosquito that bites in daylight, indoors, and breeds in a bottle cap of clean water.
| Species | Pattern | Where on body | Records | Peak here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aedes mosquito bite | several bites, frequently on ankles and lower legs | ankles, lower legs | 8,276 | February to March |
| Brazilian yellow scorpion sting | single site | hands, feet — often a bare foot at night or a hand into stored items | 668 | April to May |
| Brazilian recluse spider bite | single site | torso under clothing, thighs | 208 | January, November |
| Honey bee sting | single | feet — bees are often stepped on in clover, hands | 24,745 | November to December |
| Fire ant sting | multiple stings in a ring or cluster — the ant grips and pivots | feet, ankles | 558 | October |
| Head lice bites | concentrated behind the ears and at the nape | scalp, behind the ears | 86 | June, September, October |
| Flea bite | clusters of three or four, or short irregular groups | ankles, shins | 42 | April, August |
| Scabies rash | symmetrical, in finger webs, wrists, waistline, armpits and groin | finger webs, wrists | 18 | — |
| Mosquito bite | single bumps scattered over exposed skin | ankles, lower legs | 7 | — |
| No-see-um bite | dozens, clustered on exposed skin | ankles, lower legs | 7 | — |
| Bed bug bite | lines or zigzags of three or more — the classic "breakfast, lunch and dinner" | arms, shoulders | 6 | — |
| Black widow spider bite | single site | hands, forearms | 5 | — |
| Yellow sac spider bite | single, sometimes two nearby | neck, arms | 1 | — |
| Yellowjacket sting | single or several — this wasp can sting repeatedly | hands, face | 1 | — |
Honey bees usually top records like these because they are the most photographed insect on earth, not because they sting most often. Read the column as "definitely present here", not as a ranking of risk.
What is different about Brazil
Seasons are inverted: the peak runs October through April, with the rainy season driving both mosquitoes and scorpions. The urban bias is unusual — these are city problems, not bush problems.
Species linked to illness here
- Aedes mosquito bite — dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever
- Flea bite — murine typhus (Gulf Coast, California, Hawaii), cat scratch disease bacteria carried between cats, flea tapeworm (mainly in children who swallow a flea)
- Scabies rash — secondary bacterial skin infection is common from scratching
- Mosquito bite — West Nile virus, La Crosse encephalitis, dengue (Gulf Coast and Southwest, local cases), chikungunya (rare, travel-linked)
Most bites transmit nothing. What matters is the follow-up: note the date, and report any fever or expanding rash in the weeks afterwards to a clinician, mentioning the bite and where you were.
Stings rather than bites
Brazilian yellow scorpion, Honey bee, Fire ant, Yellowjacket are recorded in Brazil. Stings differ from bites in one way that matters: they can cause anaphylaxis in sensitised people, and that risk does not depend on how mild previous stings looked. Anyone who has had a severe reaction should carry an adrenaline auto-injector.
Year-round regardless of season
Weather does not affect everything. Bed bugs, scabies and head lice depend on people rather than temperature, so a bite pattern in the middle of Brazil's quiet season points to those first — see what is biting me at night.
Seek medical care if
Call emergency services now for difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, dizziness or fainting, or hives spreading away from the bite.
- difficulty breathing, or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat after a sting
- a red area that is spreading, hot and painful, especially with a red streak
- fever, chills or feeling generally unwell in the days or weeks after a bite
- an expanding rash appearing 3 to 30 days after a tick bite
- a bite that is getting worse rather than better after 72 hours
Where to get help in Brazil
SAMU is 192 for emergencies. Scorpion and spider envenomation is treated at hospital, and antivenom is available through the public system — for a child stung by a scorpion, go rather than wait.
Get a photo assessment in the app
Everything above is free to read. The app adds what a page cannot: point your camera at the bite and get an assessment of the most likely cause, a severity read, and a day-by-day care plan — including the specific signs that mean you should be seen.
iPhone and iPad. Free to download.