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Sunday, May 13, 2018

Blister beetle - Wikipedia
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Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators.


Video Blister beetle



Description

Cantharidin, a poisonous chemical that causes blistering of the skin, is used medically to remove warts and is collected for this purpose from species of the genera Mylabris and Lytta, especially Lytta vesicatoria, better known as "Spanish fly". Cantharidin is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the US.

Blister beetles are hypermetamorphic, going through several larval stages, the first of which is typically a mobile triungulin. The larvae are insectivorous, mainly attacking bees, though a few feed on grasshopper eggs. While sometimes considered parasitoids, in general, the meloid larva apparently consumes the immature host along with its provisions, and can often survive on the provisions alone; thus it is not an obligatory parasitoid, but rather a facultative parasitoid, or simply a predator. The adults sometimes feed on flowers and leaves of plants of such diverse families as the Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae.


Maps Blister beetle



Toxicity

Cantharidin is the principal irritant in "Spanish fly", a folk medicine prepared from dried beetles in the family Meloidae.

The largest genus, Epicauta, contains many species toxic to horses. A few beetles consumed in a single feeding of alfalfa hay may be lethal. In semiarid areas of the western United States, modern harvesting techniques may contribute to cantharidin content in harvested forage. The practice of hay conditioning, crushing the stalks to promote drying, also crushes any beetles present and causes the release of cantharidin into the fodder. Blister beetles are attracted to alfalfa and weeds during bloom. Reducing weeds and timing harvests before and after bloom are sound management practices. Using equipment without hay conditioners may reduce beetle mortality and allow them to escape before baling.


Blister Beetle Information รข€
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Systematics

Subfamily Eleticinae

Tribe Derideini

  • Anthicoxenus
  • Deridea
  • Iselma
  • Iselmeletica

Tribe Morphozonitini

  • Ceriselma
  • Morphozonitis
  • Steniselma

Tribe Eleticini

  • Eletica

Tribe Spasticini

  • Eospasta
  • Protomeloe
  • Spastica
  • Xenospasta

Subfamily Meloinae

Tribe Cerocomini

  • Anisarthrocera
  • Cerocoma
  • Diaphorocera
  • Rhampholyssa
  • Rhampholyssodes

Tribe Epicautini

  • Denierella
  • Epicauta
  • Linsleya
  • Psalydolytta

Tribe Eupomphini

  • Cordylospasta
  • Cysteodemus
  • Eupompha
  • Megetra
  • Phodaga
  • Pleropasta
  • Tegrodera

Tribe Lyttini

  • Acrolytta
  • Afrolytta
  • Alosimus
  • Berberomeloe
  • Cabalia
  • Dictyolytta
  • Eolydus
  • Epispasta
  • Lagorina
  • Lydomorphus
  • Lydulus
  • Lydus
  • Lytta
  • Lyttolydulus
  • Lyttonyx
  • Megalytta
  • Muzimes
  • Oenas
  • Parameloe
  • Paroenas
  • Physomeloe
  • Prionotolytta
  • Prolytta
  • Pseudosybaris
  • Sybaris
  • Teratolytta
  • Tetraolytta
  • Trichomeloe

Tribe Meloini

  • Cyaneolytta
  • Lyttomeloe
  • Meloe
  • Spastomeloe
  • Spastonyx

Tribe Mylabrini

  • Actenodia
  • Ceroctis
  • Croscherichia
  • Hycleus
  • Lydoceras
  • Mimesthes
  • Mylabris
  • Paractenodia
  • Pseudabris
  • Semenovilia
  • Xanthabris

Tribe Pyrotini

  • Bokermannia
  • Brasiliota
  • Denierota
  • Glaphyrolytta
  • Lyttamorpha
  • Picnoseus
  • Pseudopyrota
  • Pyrota
  • Wagneronota

Genera incertae sedis

  • Australytta
  • Calydus
  • Gynapteryx
  • Oreomeloe
  • Pseudomeloe

Subfamily Nemognathinae

Tribe Horiini

  • Cissites
  • Horia
  • Synhoria

Tribe Nemognathini

  • Cochliophorus
  • Euzonitis
  • Gnathium
  • Gnathonemula
  • Leptopalpus
  • Megatrachelus
  • Nemognatha
  • Palaestra
  • Palaestrida
  • Pseudozonitis
  • Rhyphonemognatha
  • Stenodera
  • Zonitis
  • Zonitodema
  • Zonitolytta
  • Zonitomorpha
  • Zonitoschema

Tribe Sitarini

  • Allendeselazaria
  • Apalus
  • Ctenopus
  • Glasunovia
  • Nyadatus
  • Sitaris
  • Sitarobrachys
  • Stenoria

Genera incertae sedis

  • Hornia
  • Onyctenus
  • Sitaromorpha
  • Tricrania

Subfamily Tetraonycinae

Tribe Tetraonycini

  • Meloetyphlus
  • Opiomeloe
  • Tetraonyx

Say blister beetle : Yard and Garden News : UMN Extension
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See also

  • Blister beetle dermatitis
  • Cantarella

Bountiful blister beetles : Yard and Garden News : UMN Extension
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References


Blister Beetles! - YouTube
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External links

  • Blister Beetle Intoxication: Cantharidin Poisoning
  • meloidae.com
  • blister beetles UF / IFAS Featured Creatures
  • striped blister beetle, Epicauta vittata UF / IFAS Featured Creatures
  • Beetle mania as 'extinct' insect found on Scots isle
  • Ever so Strange: Blister Beetles
  • Mylabris Pustulata Orange Blister Beetle found in Farms near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

Source of article : Wikipedia