Several impressive blue-black Blister Beetles fed on the leaves of Virgin's Bower this morning. Blister beetles are parasitic on the larva of solitary bees. Beetle larvae hatch from the egg as agile "triangulins" that climb a flower stalk, attach themselves to a female bee and ride to the bee's burrow. The larva then molts into a sedentary form that eats the bee's stored pollen, nectar and its larvae.
The oddly kinked antennae of adult male beetles are used to grasp females during mating.
If squeezed the adult beetles exude skin blistering irritants.
There are about 410 species of Blister Beetle in North America. This one is possibly Meloe impressus.
John
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| Blister Beetle possibly Meloe impressus |
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