Superstitious? You bet...

“On meeting with a pinauiztli beetle people believed that something shameful would afflict them, that perhaps they might even perish as a result. If it entered someone’s house, it was a sign that sickness would come or, again, that they would meet with some evil that would shame them. In order to ascertain the outcome, they would draw a cross on the ground representing the cardinal directions, and place the beetle at the centre. If it moved off to the north - the direction of the Realm of the Dead, Mictlan - then they knew they would die! If it did otherwise, they understood that the consequences of its appearance would be less severe...”

Part of Dr. Eleanor Wake's reply to a pupil's question on deadly creepy-crawlies in Aztec times:- follow the link below to find out more!