Blister beetle
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Beetles in the Coleoptera family Meloidae are commonly known as blister beetles. There are approximately 2,500 known species worldwide.
They are known as "blister beetles" because they secrete cantharidin, a poisonous chemical causing blistering of the skin and painful swelling if consumed. Cantharidin 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.
Blister beetles are hypermetamorphic, going through several larval stages, the first of which is typically a planidium. The larvae are insectivorous, mainly attacking bees, though a few feed on grasshopper eggs; while sometimes considered parasitoids, it appears that in general, the meloid larva consumes the immature host along with its provisions, and can often survive on the provisions alone, thus they do not truly qualify (see Parasitoid for definition). The adults feed on flowers and leaves of plants in the families Amaranthaceae, Compositae, Leguminosae, and Solanaceae.
Classification
- Subfamily Eleticinae
- *Tribe Derideini
- **Anthicoxenus
- **Deridea
- **Iselma
- **Iselmeletica
- *Tribe Eleticini
- **Eletica
- *Tribe Morphozonitini
- **Ceriselma
- **Morphozonitis
- **Steniselma
- *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 (genus)
- **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
- *Unclassified group
- **Australytta
- **Calydus
- **Gynapteryx
- *Unclassified group
- **Oreomeloe
- *Unclassified group
- **Pseudomeloe
- Subfamily Nemognathinae
- *Tribe Horiini
- **Cissites
- **Horia
- **Synhoria
- *Tribe Nemognathini
- **Cochliophorus
- **Euzonitis
- **Gnathium
- **Gnathonemula
- **Leptopalpus
- **Megatrachelus
- **Nemognatha
- **Palaestra (genus)
- **Palaestrida
- **Pseudozonitis
- **Rhyphonemognatha
- **Stenodera
- **Zonitis
- **Zonitodema
- **Zonitolytta
- **Zonitomorpha
- **Zonitoschema
- *Tribe Sitarini
- **Allendeselazaria
- **Apalus
- **Ctenopus
- **Glasunovia
- **Nyadatus
- **Sitaris
- **Sitarobrachys
- **Stenoria
- *Unclassified group
- **Hornia
- **Tricrania
- *Unclassified group
- **Onyctenus
- **Sitaromorpha
- Subfamily Tetraonycinae
- *Tribe Tetraonycini
- **Meloetyphlus
- **Opiomeloe
- **Tetraonyx
External links
- [Black blister beetle Epicauta pennsylvanica diagnostic photographs]
- [Orange blister beetle Nemognatha sp. photos and information]
- [Blister beetles Richard B. Selander]
- [meloidae.com Stanislav Krejcik]
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