Blister beetle

Blister beetle; Temporal range:Cenomanian–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Hycleus lugens
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Superfamily:	Tenebrionoidea
Family:	Meloidae; Gyllenhaal,1810
Subfamilies
	Eleticinae; Meloinae; Nemognathinae; Tetraonycinae

Blister beetlesarebeetlesof thefamilyMeloidae,so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent,cantharidin.About 7,500speciesare known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some areaposematicallycolored, announcing their toxicity to would-bepredators.

Description

Ivy bee (Colletes hederae), carrying parasitic triungulins ofStenoria analis

Blister beetles arehypermetamorphic,going through several larval stages, the first of which is typically a mobiletriungulin.Thelarvaeareinsectivorous,mainly attackingbees,though a few feed ongrasshoppereggs. While sometimes consideredparasitoids,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 akleptoparasite.The adults sometimes feed on flowers and leaves of plants of such diverse families as theAmaranthaceae,Asteraceae,Fabaceae,andSolanaceae.^[1]

Femalemargined blister beetlepursued by multiple males.

Cantharidin, a poisonous chemical that causes blistering of the skin, is secreted as a defensive agent. It is used medically to remove warts^[2]and is collected for this purpose from species of the generaMylabrisandLytta,especiallyLytta vesicatoria,better known as "Spanish fly".

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 ofalfalfahay may be lethal.^[3]In semiarid areas of the western United States, modern harvesting techniques may contribute to cantharidin content in harvested forage. The practice ofhay 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.^[4]

Evolutionary history

The family is thought to have begun diversifying during theEarly Cretaceous.The oldest fossil of the group is a larva (triangulin) foundphoreticon aschizopteridbug from the mid CretaceousBurmese amber,dated to around 99 million years ago.^[5]

Systematics

Subfamily Eleticinae

TribeDerideini

TribeMorphozonitini

TribeEleticini

Eletica

TribeSpasticini

Subfamily Meloinae

Black blister beetle,Epicauta pennsylvanica(Meloinae: Epicautini)

Cysteodemus armatusnearRidgecrest, Californiain theMojave Desert:The white coating is cuticular wax, which can vary from white to yellow in this species[1].

TribeCerocomini

TribeEpicautini

TribeEupomphini

Blister beetles like thisLytta vesicatoria(Meloinae: Lyttini) can be safely handled, provided the animal is not startled, and allowed to move around freely. Otherwise, painful poisonings may occur.

Meloe violaceus(Meloinae: Meloini): Note the drop of dark orange defensive fluid on itsthorax.

Mylabris quadripunctata(Meloinae: Mylabrini)

TribeLyttini

TribeMeloini

TribeMylabrini

Actenodia

A yellow-and-black species ofActenodia,one of many known in South Africa as "CMRbeetle "

TribePyrotini

Generaincertae sedis

Subfamily Nemognathinae

Horiasp. fromBannerghatta(Bangalore)

Sitaris muralis(Nemognathinae: Sitarini)

TribeHoriini

TribeNemognathini

TribeSitarini

Generaincertae sedis

Subfamily Tetraonycinae

TribeTetraonycini

References

^Wright, Ethan R.; Makings, Elizabeth; Andrew Johnston, M. (24 March 2023)."Notes on adult feeding and behavior of Tegrodera aloga Skinner, 1903 (Coleoptera: Meloidae)".The Pan-Pacific Entomologist.99(1).doi:10.3956/2022-99.1.81.
^Bhattacharjee, Pradip; Brodell, Robert T. (2003)."Cantharidin".In Robert T. Brodell; Sandra Marchese Johnson (eds.).Warts: Diagnosis and Management—an Evidence-Based Approach.London: Martin Dunitz. pp.151–160.ISBN 1-84184-240-0.
^University of Arizona VDLBlister Beetle Poisoning in Horses ArchivedJuly 24, 2008, at theWayback Machine
^University of Colorado ExtensionBlister Beetles in Forage Crops Archived2015-01-10 at theWayback Machine
^Poinar, George; Brown, Alex (2014-10-02)."New genera and species of Jumping Ground Bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae) in Dominican and Burmese amber, with a description of a meloid (Coleoptera: Meloidae) triungulin on a Burmese specimen".Annales de la Société entomologique de France.Nouvelle Série.50(3–4):372–381.doi:10.1080/00379271.2014.982025.ISSN 0037-9271.S2CID 83047456.

External links

[1] Wright, Ethan R.; Makings, Elizabeth; Andrew Johnston, M. (24 March 2023)."Notes on adult feeding and behavior of Tegrodera aloga Skinner, 1903 (Coleoptera: Meloidae)".The Pan-Pacific Entomologist.99(1).doi:10.3956/2022-99.1.81.

[2] Bhattacharjee, Pradip; Brodell, Robert T. (2003)."Cantharidin".In Robert T. Brodell; Sandra Marchese Johnson (eds.).Warts: Diagnosis and Management—an Evidence-Based Approach.London: Martin Dunitz. pp.151–160.ISBN 1-84184-240-0.

[3] University of Arizona VDLBlister Beetle Poisoning in Horses ArchivedJuly 24, 2008, at theWayback Machine

[4] University of Colorado ExtensionBlister Beetles in Forage Crops Archived2015-01-10 at theWayback Machine

[5] Poinar, George; Brown, Alex (2014-10-02)."New genera and species of Jumping Ground Bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae) in Dominican and Burmese amber, with a description of a meloid (Coleoptera: Meloidae) triungulin on a Burmese specimen".Annales de la Société entomologique de France.Nouvelle Série.50(3–4):372–381.doi:10.1080/00379271.2014.982025.ISSN 0037-9271.S2CID 83047456.

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