Saturday, July 7, 2012

Look, but don't touch!

This is a black blister beetle (Genus Epicauta).  Their larvae eat grasshopper eggs but the adults mostly hang out on flowers and eat nectar and pollen.


Blister beetles (Family: Meloidae) are pretty infamous for their ability to defend themselves with a  poisonous chemical called cantharadin. They will secrete the toxin if you try to eat them or handle them too roughly, so be careful if you see one of these!

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