Blister beetle

Family of beetles

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Blister beetle

Temporal range: Cenomanian–Recent

PreꞒ

Hycleus lugens
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Class:  | Insecta
Order:  | Coleoptera
Superfamily:  | Tenebrionoidea
Family:  | Meloidae
Gyllenhaal, 1810
Subfamilies

Eleticinae
Meloinae
Nemognathinae
Tetraonycinae

at Mumbai

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.

## Description

[edit]

Ivy bee (Colletes hederae), carrying parasitic triungulins of Stenoria analis

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 kleptoparasite. The adults sometimes feed on flowers and leaves of plants of such diverse families as the Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae.[1]

Female margined blister beetle pursued 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 genera Mylabris and Lytta, especially Lytta vesicatoria, better known as "Spanish fly".

## Toxicity

[edit]

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.[3] 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.[4]

## Evolutionary history

[edit]

The family is thought to have begun diversifying during the Early Cretaceous. The oldest fossil of the group is a larva (triangulin) found phoretic on a schizopterid bug from the mid Cretaceous Burmese amber, dated to around 99 million years ago.[5]

## Systematics

[edit]

### Subfamily Eleticinae

[edit]

Tribe Derideini

* Anthicoxenus
* Deridea
* Iselma
* Iselmeletica

Tribe Morphozonitini

* Ceriselma
* Morphozonitis
* Steniselma

Tribe Eleticini

* Eletica

Tribe Spasticini

* Eospasta
* Protomeloe
* Spastica
* Xenospasta

### Subfamily Meloinae

[edit]

Black blister beetle, Epicauta pennsylvanica (Meloinae: Epicautini) Cysteodemus armatus near Ridgecrest, California in the Mojave Desert: The white coating is cuticular wax, which can vary from white to yellow in this species [1].

Tribe Cerocomini

* Anisarthrocera
* Cerocoma
* Diaphorocera
* Rhampholyssa
* Rhampholyssodes

Tribe Epicautini

* Denierella
* Epicauta
* Linsleya
* Psalydolytta

Tribe Eupomphini

* Cordylospasta
* Cysteodemus
* Eupompha
* Megetra
* Phodaga
* Pleropasta
* Tegrodera

Blister beetles like this Lytta 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 its thorax. Mylabris quadripunctata (Meloinae: Mylabrini)

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

A yellow-and-black species of Actenodia, one of many known in South Africa as "CMR beetle"

* 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

[edit]

Horia sp. from Bannerghatta (Bangalore) Sitaris muralis (Nemognathinae: Sitarini)

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

[edit]

Tribe Tetraonycini

* Meloetyphlus
* Opiomeloe
* Tetraonyx

## See also

[edit]

* Blister beetle dermatitis
* Cantarella

## References

[edit]

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 VDL Blister Beetle Poisoning in Horses Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ University of Colorado Extension Blister Beetles in Forage Crops Archived 2015-01-10 at the Wayback 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.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meloidae.

Wikispecies has information related to Meloidae.

* 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

* v
* t
* e

Extant Coleoptera families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Class: Insecta
* Subclass: Pterygota
* Infraclass: Neoptera
* Superorder: Holometabola

Suborder Archostemata

* Crowsoniellidae (Crowsoniella relicta)
* Cupedidae (reticulated beetles)
* Jurodidae (Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae)
* Micromalthidae
* Ommatidae

Suborder Adephaga

| Extant families|

* Amphizoidae (trout-stream beetles)
* Aspidytidae
* Carabidae (ground beetles)
* Cicindelidae (tiger beetles)
* Dytiscidae (predaceous diving beetles)
* Gyrinidae (whirligig beetles)
* Haliplidae (crawling water beetles)
* Hygrobiidae
* Meruidae (Meru phyllisae)
* Noteridae (burrowing water beetles)
* Trachypachidae (false ground beetles)

|

Suborder Myxophaga

* Hydroscaphidae (skiff beetles)
* Lepiceridae
* Sphaeriusidae
* Torridincolidae

Suborder Polyphaga

| Bostrichiformia|

| Bostrichoidea|

* Bostrichidae (auger beetles)
* Dermestidae (skin beetles)
* Endecatomidae
* Jacobsoniidae (Jacobson's beetles)
* Nosodendridae (wounded-tree beetles)
* Ptiniidae (furniture beetles, death watch beetles, spider beetles)

|

Derodontoidea|

* Derodontidae (tooth-necked fungus beetles)

Cucujiformia|

| Chrysomeloidea|

* Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles)
* Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)
* Disteniidae
* Megalopodidae
* Orsodacnidae
* Oxypeltidae
* Vesperidae

|

Cleroidea|

* Acanthocnemidae (Acanthocnemus nigricans)
* Biphyllidae (false skin beetles)
* Byturidae (fruitworm beetles)
* Chaetosomatidae
* Cleridae (checkered beetles)
* Lophocateridae
* Mauroniscidae
* Melyridae (soft-wing flower beetles)
* Metaxinidae (Metaxina ornata)
* Peltidae
* Phloiophilidae (Phloiophilus edwardsi)
* Phycosecidae
* Prionoceridae
* Protopeltidae
* Rentoniidae
* Rhadalidae
* Thanerocleridae
* Thymalidae
* Trogossitidae (bark-gnawing beetles)

Coccinelloidea|

* Akalyptoischiidae
* Alexiidae
* Anamorphidae
* Bothrideridae (dry bark beetles)
* Cerylonidae (minute bark beetles)
* Coccinellidae (lady beetles, or God's cows)
* Corylophidae (minute fungus beetles)
* Discolomatidae
* Endomychidae (handsome fungus beetles)
* Eupsilobiidae
* Euxestidae (well polished beetles)
* Latridiidae (minute brown scavenger beetles)
* Murmidiidae
* Mycetaeidae
* Teredidae

Cucujoidea|

* Agapythidae (Agapytho foveicollis)
* Boganiidae
* Cavognathidae
* Cryptophagidae (silken fungus beetles)
* Cucujidae (flat bark beetles)
* Cybocephalidae
* Cyclaxyridae
* Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles)
* Helotidae
* Hobartiidae
* Kateretidae (short-winged flower beetles)
* Laemophloeidae (lined flat bark beetles)
* Lamingtoniidae (Lamingtonium binnaberrense)
* Monotomidae (root-eating beetles)
* Myraboliidae
* Nitidulidae (sap beetles)
* Passandridae (parasitic flat bark beetles)
* Phalacridae (shining flower beetles)
* Phloeostichidae
* Priasilphidae
* Propalticidae
* Protocucujidae
* Silvanidae (silvanid flat bark beetles)
* Smicripidae (palmetto beetles)
* Sphindidae (dry-fungus beetles)
* Tasmosalpingidae

Curculionoidea
(weevils)|

* Anthribidae (fungus weevils)
* Attelabidae (leaf-rolling weevils)
* Belidae (primitive weevils)
* Brentidae (straight snout weevils, New York weevil)
* Caridae
* Curculionidae (true weevils, bark beetles, ambrosia beetles)
* Nemonychidae (pine flower weevils)

Lymexyloidea|

* Lymexylidae (ship-timber beetles)

Tenebrionoidea|

* Aderidae (ant-like leaf beetles)
* Anthicidae (ant-like flower beetles)
* Archeocrypticidae (cryptic fungus beetles)
* Boridae (conifer bark beetles)
* Chalcodryidae
* Ciidae (minute tree-fungus beetles)
* Melandryidae (false darkling beetles)
* Meloidae (blister beetles)
* Mordellidae (tumbling flower beetles)
* Mycetophagidae (hairy fungus beetles)
* Mycteridae (palm and flower beetles)
* Oedemeridae (false blister beetle)
* Perimylopidae, or Promecheilidae
* Prostomidae (jugular-horned beetles)
* Pterogeniidae
* Pyrochroidae (fire-coloured beetles)
* Pythidae (dead log bark beetles)
* Ripiphoridae (wedge-shaped beetles)
* Salpingidae (narrow-waisted bark beetles)
* Scraptiidae (false flower beetles)
* Stenotrachelidae (false longhorn beetles)
* Synchroidae (synchroa bark beetles)
* Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles)
* Tetratomidae (polypore fungus beetles)
* Trictenotomidae
* Ulodidae
* Zopheridae (ironclad beetles, cylindrical bark beetles)

Elateriformia|

| Buprestoidea|

* Buprestidae (jewel beetles, or metallic wood-boring beetles)
* Schizopodidae

|

Byrrhoidea|

* Byrrhidae (pill beetles)
* Callirhipidae (cedar beetles)
* Chelonariidae (turtle beetles)
* Cneoglossidae
* Dryopidae (long-toed water beetles)
* Elmidae (riffle beetles)
* Eulichadidae (forest stream beetles)
* Heteroceridae (variegated mud-loving beetles)
* Limnichidae (minute mud beetles)
* Lutrochidae (travertine beetles)
* Psephenidae (water-penny beetles)
* Ptilodactylidae

Dascilloidea|

* Dascillidae (soft bodied plant beetles)
* Rhipiceridae (cicada beetle, cicada parasite beetles)

Elateroidea|

* Artematopodidae (soft-bodied plant beetles)
* Brachypsectridae (Texas beetles)
* Cantharidae (soldier beetles)
* Cerophytidae (rare click beetles)
* Elateridae (click beetles)
* Eucnemidae (false click beetles)
* Jurasaidae
* Lampyridae (fireflies)
* Lycidae (net-winged beetles)
* Omethidae (false fireflies, long-lipped beetles)
* Phengodidae (glowworm beetles)
* Rhagophthalmidae
* Sinopyrophoridae
* Throscidae (false metallic wood-boring beetles)

Rhinorhipoidea|

* Rhinorhipidae (Rhinorhipus tamborinensis)

Scirtoidea|

* Clambidae
* Decliniidae (Declinia relicta)
* Eucinetidae (plate-thigh beetles)
* Scirtidae

Scarabaeiformia|

| Scarabaeoidea|

* Belohinidae (Belohina inexpectata)
* Bolboceratidae
* Diphyllostomatidae (false stag beetles)
* Geotrupidae (dor beetles)
* Glaphyridae (bumble bee scarab beetles)
* Glaresidae (enigmatic scarab beetles)
* Hybosoridae (scavenger scarab beetles)
* Lucanidae (stag beetles)
* Ochodaeidae (sand-loving scarab beetles)
* Passalidae (betsy beetles)
* Pleocomidae (rain beetles)
* Scarabaeidae (scarabs)
* Trogidae (hide beetles)

|

Staphyliniformia|

| Histeroidea|

* Histeridae (clown beetles)
* Sphaeritidae (false clown beetles)
* Synteliidae

|

Hydrophiloidea|

* Epimetopidae
* Georissidae (minute mud-loving beetles)
* Helophoridae
* Hydrochidae
* Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles)
* Spercheidae

Staphylinoidea|

* Agyrtidae (primitive carrion beetles)
* Hydraenidae
* Leiodidae (round fungus beetles)
* Ptiliidae (feather-winged beetles)
* Silphidae (carrion beetles)
* Staphylinidae (rove beetles)

List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera

Taxon identifiers

Meloidae|

* Wikidata: Q297115
* Wikispecies: Meloidae
* ADW: Meloidae
* AFD: Meloidae
* BioLib: 14452
* BOLD: 167257
* BugGuide: 181
* CoL: CBC5J
* EoL: 387
* EPPO: 1MELOF
* Fauna Europaea: 11082
* Fauna Europaea (new): 98dfb247-1886-43ad-b593-fef29922fc39
* GBIF: 4742
* iNaturalist: 59510
* IRMNG: 101015
* ITIS: 114387
* NBN: NHMSYS0020152627
* NCBI: 34672
* Open Tree of Life: 442459
* Paleobiology Database: 69537
* Plazi: 396787A7-5C70-1B78-FF1D-FAFFFC48F30C

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Japan
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Israel

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