Texas Beetle Resources

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Blister Beetles of Texas - Family Meloidae

140 species of meloidae have been recorded from Texas (E.G. Riley, pers. comm. 2015)
The following thumbnails represent over 60% of the Texas total
(There are approximately 410 Nearctic meloids) *

Speciemens primarily shot at the TAMUIC and the UTIC

Meloinae (Epicauta Lytta Pyrota) - Tetraonycinae - Nemognathinae

Subfamily Meloinae

Epicauta temexa Adams & Selander - Epicauta temexa Epicauta sp. (vittata group) - Epicauta Epicauta atrivittata (LeConte) - Epicauta atrivittata - male Striped Epicauta? - Epicauta hirsutipubescens Epicauta costata (LeConte) - Epicauta costata Epicauta temexa ? - Epicauta occidentalis Blister beetle - Epicauta strigosa
Blister Beetle, I think - Epicauta callosa - - Epicauta immaculata Epicauta ochrea (LeConte) - Epicauta ochrea - - Epicauta brunnea Epicauta sp. - Epicauta ferruginea Epicauta polingi Werner - Epicauta polingi - male
Epicauta cazieri Dillon - Epicauta cazieri Epicauta apache Pinto - Epicauta apache - male Epicauta pardalis LeConte - Epicauta pardalis nasty bugs eating my garden to shreds! - Epicauta normalis Epicauta sp blister beetle spotted - Epicauta andersoni Epicauta stuarti LeConte - Epicauta stuarti
Epicauta sericans LeConte - Epicauta sericans Epicauta (E.) sp. [fortis, sericans, or ferruginea] - Epicauta sericans Epicauta Epicauta nigritarsis (LeConte) - Epicauta nigritarsis Big grey Epicauta - Epicauta texana South Texas - Meloidae - Epicauta albida - male Looks like a match - Epicauta lauta Epicauta blister beetle (?) on yucca flower - Epicauta gissleri
L. sauvissima? - Epicauta corvina Epicauta atrata (Fabricius) - Epicauta atrata=Epicauta atrata (Fabricius) - Epicauta atrata Red-headed Epicauta - Epicauta tenella Epicauta sublineata (LeConte) - Epicauta sublineata Epicauta segmenta (Say) - Epicauta segmenta
Epicauta torsa (LeConte) - Epicauta torsa - male=Epicauta torsa (LeConte) - Epicauta torsa - male Epicauta conferta?? - Epicauta conferta Black Blister Beetle? - Epicauta pennsylvanica Margined Blister Beetle - Epicauta funebris=Epicauta funebris Horn - Epicauta funebris Lytta lecontei Heyden - Lytta lecontei - male Blister Beetle - Lytta biguttata Lytta fulvipennis LeConte - Lytta fulvipennis BG2591 E4039 - Lytta aenea=Lytta aenea=Lytta aenea Say - Lytta aenea=Blister Beetle - Lytta aenea
Lytta (Paralytta) mirifica Werner - Lytta mirifica - male Lytta reticulata Say - Lytta reticulata Lytta cribrata LeConte - Lytta cribrata=Lytta cribrata LeConte - Lytta cribrata Meloe Oil Beetle - Meloe americanus - female Oil beetle (dorsal) - Meloe campanicollis - female=Meloe campanicollis - male Oil Beetle - Meloe niger - male Pyrota insulata (LeConte) - Pyrota insulata Pyrota tenuicostatis (Dugès) - Pyrota tenuicostatis Pyrota - Pyrota akhurstiana
Pyrota invita Horn - Pyrota invita Pyrota sp.? - Pyrota nigrovittata Pyrota discoidea LeConte - Pyrota discoidea
Pyrota bilineata Horn - Pyrota bilineata Pyrota lineata texana Dillon - Pyrota lineata What species is this? - Pyrota riherdi
Pyrota deceptiva Selander - Pyrota deceptiva Pyrota perversa Dillon - Pyrota perversa - female=Pyrota perversa Dillon - Pyrota perversa Blister beetle - Pyrota palpalis
Pyrota concinna Casey - Pyrota concinna Checkered Beetle? - Pyrota punctata Blister beetle - Pyrota postica
Cysteodemus wislizeni LeConte - Cysteodemus wislizeni=Cysteodemus wislizeni LeConte - Cysteodemus wislizeni=Cysteodemus wislizeni LeConte - Cysteodemus wislizeni Eupompha fissiceps LeConte - Eupompha fissiceps=Eupompha fissiceps LeConte - Eupompha fissiceps=Eupompha fissiceps LeConte - Eupompha fissiceps=Cleft-headed Blister Beetle - Eupompha fissiceps Eupompha viridis (Horn) - Eupompha viridis=Eupompha viridis (Horn) - Eupompha viridis Megetra cancellata (Brandt and Erichson) - Megetra cancellata=Megetra cancellata (Brandt and Erichson) - Megetra cancellata=Megetra cancellata (Brandt and Erichson) - Megetra cancellata=Megetra cancellata (Brandt and Erichson) - Megetra cancellata Water Carrier - Megetra vittata - female
Dune Meloid - Phodaga marmorata
Pleuropasta reticulata (Van Dyke) - Pleuropasta reticulata

Subfamily Tetraonycinae

Blister 2 - Tetraonyx fulva=Tetraonyx fulva LeConte - Tetraonyx fulva=Tetraonyx fulva LeConte - Tetraonyx fulva 

Subfamily Nemognathinae

Cissites auriculata (Champion) - Cissites auriculata=Cissites auriculata (Champion) - Cissites auriculata=Cissites auriculata (Champion) - Cissites auriculata=Cissites auriculata (Champion) - Cissites auriculata=Cissites auriculata (Champion) - Cissites auriculata Gnathium minimum (Say) - Gnathium minimum=Gnathium minimum (Say) - Gnathium minimum Gnathium francilloni Kirby - Gnathium francilloni=Gnathium francilloni Kirby - Gnathium francilloni Flower Beetle? - Gnathium nitidum Hornia=Hornia=Hornia
Nemognatha nigripennis LeConte - Nemognatha nigripennis Nemognatha (Nemognatha) piazata bicolor LeConte - Nemognatha piazata=Nemognatha (Nemognatha) piazata bicolor LeConte - Nemognatha piazata Nemognatha lurida Nemognatha lutea lutea LeConte - Nemognatha lutea - male
Nemognatha piazata bicolor LeConte - Nemognatha piazata=Nemognatha piazata bicolor LeConte - Nemognatha piazata Nemognatha selanderi Enns - Nemognatha selanderi Nemognatha (Nemognatha) bifoveata Enns - Nemognatha bifoveata Nemognatha nemorensis Pseudozonitis labialis Enns - Pseudozonitis labialis Pseudozonitis labialis Enns - Pseudozonitis labialis Pseudozonitis pallidus Dillon - Pseudozonitis pallidus=Pseudozonitis pallidus Dillon - Pseudozonitis pallidus BG2610 E4624 - Pseudozonitis longicornis Rhyphonemognatha rufa (LeConte) - Rhyphonemognatha rufa
Blister beetle - Tricrania stansburyi Tricrania sanguinipennis - male
Zonitis (Parazonitis) dunniana Casey - Zonitis dunniana=Zonitis (Parazonitis) dunniana Casey - Zonitis dunniana Zonitis perforata Zonitis cribricollis (LeConte) - Zonitis cribricollis=Zonitis cribricollis (LeConte) - Zonitis cribricollis Zonitis atripennis Zonitis vittigera (LeConte) - Zonitis vittigera=Zonitis vittigera (LeConte) - Zonitis vittigera

Select bibliography:

Adams, C.L. and R.B.Selander. 1979. The biology of blister beetles of the Vittata Group of the genus Epicauta (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Bulletin of the American Musuem of Natural History 162: 139-266.

Arnold, D.C. 1976. Blister beetles of Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin T-145. 68 pp.

Bahme, A.J. 1968. Cantharides toxicosis in the equine. The Southwestern Veterinarian 21: 147-149.

Bland, R.G. 1986. Antennal and mouthpart sensilla of the blister beetle, Meloe campanicollis (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Great Lakes Entomologist 19(4): 209–215.

Bologna, M.A. and J.D. Pinto. 2001. Phylogenetic studies of Meloidae (Coleoptera), with emphasis on the evolution of phorsey. Systematic Entomology 26: 33-72.

Bomar, C.R. 1993. The blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) of Wyoming. University of Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 981. 34 pp.

Carrel, J.E. and T. Eisker. 1974. Cantharidin: potent feeding deterrent to insects. Science 183: 755-757.

Carruth, L.A. 1931. The Meloidae of South Dakota (Coleoptera). Entomological News 42: 50–55.

Champion, G.C. 1891–1893. Family Meloidae, In: F.E. Godman and O. Salvin (eds.). Biologia Centrali-Americana, Coleoptera (London). 4: 364–464, pls. 17–21.

Cline, A.R. and J.P. Huether. 2011. Revision of the Nearctic blister beetle genus Tricrania LeConte, 1860 (Coleoptera: Meloidae: Nemognathinae). Zootaxa 2832: 1–43.

Cohen, A.C. and J.L. Cohen. 1990. Ingestion of blister beetles by a Texas horned lizard. Southwestern Naturalist 35(3): 369.

**Dillon, L.S. 1952. The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of Texas. American Midland Naturalist, 48(2): 330-420.

Dillon, L.S. 1952. Pyrota riherdi, a new species of Meloidae (Coleoptera), from South Texas. Entomological News, 63(7): 181-182. (Full Text)

Deyrup, M. and T. Eisner. 1987. A mordellid-meloid mimicry. Psyche 94: 215–218.

Enns, W.R. 1956. A revision of the genera Nemognatha, Zonitis, and Pseudozonitis (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in America north of  Mexico, with a proposed new genus. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 37, pt. 2 (17): 685-690.

Epstein, J. and W. Epstein. 1960. Cantharidin treatment of digital and periungual warts. California Medicine 93: 11-12.

Erickson, E.H. 1973. First-stage larvae of Tegrodera erosa aloga and Gnathium obscurum (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 66: 785–787.

Erickson, E.H. and F.G. Werner. 1974. Bionomics of Nearctic bee-associated Meloidae (Coleoptera); life histories and nutrition of certain Nemognathinae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 67: 401–406.

Erickson, E.H., W.R. Enns and F.G. Werner. 1976. Bionomics of the bee-associated Meloidae (Coleoptera); bee and plant hosts of some Nearctic meloid beetles—A synopsis. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 69: 959–970.

Fall, H.F. and T.D.A. Cockerell. 1907. The Coleoptera of New Mexico. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 33: 145-272.

Garcia-Paris, M., D. Buckley and G. Parra-Olea. 2007. Catálogo taxonómico-geográfico de los Coleópteros de la familia Meloidae de México. Graellsia 63: 165–258.

Gupta, A.P. 1965. The digestive and reproductive systems of the Meloidae (Coleoptera) and their significance in the classification of the family. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 58: 442–474.

Gupta, A.P. 1971. External genitalia of Meloidae (Coleoptera). II. The genitalia and their taxonomic significance. Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America. 8: 1–29.

Gupta, A.P. 1978. External genitalia of Meloidae (Coleoptera). III. Significance of some genitalic components in the higher classification of the family. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, (N.F.) 25: 131–157.

Horn, G.H. 1885. Studies among the Meloidae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 12: 107-116.

Huether, J.P. and M.K. Huether. 2015. Distributional and biological notes on recently collected North American Meloidae (Coleoptera). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 91(2): 157-167.

Larson, N.P. 1943. The common toad as an enemy of blister beetles. Journal of Economic Entomology 36: 480.

LeConte, J.L. 1853. Synopsis of the Meloides of the United States. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 6: 328-350.

LeConte, J.L. 1858a. Catalogue of Coleoptera of the regions adjacent to the boundary line between the United States and Mexico. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ser. 2) 4: 9–42.

LeConte, J.L. 1858b. Description of new species of Coleoptera, chiefly collected by the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, under Major W. H. Emory, U.S.A. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 10: 59–89.

Lewis, A.E. 2004. A United States record for the genus Cissites Latreille (Coleoptera: Meloidae: Zonitini). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 58(4): 635-636.

Linsley, E.G. 1941. The biology of the Meloidae with special emphasis on the genus Hornia. Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 17: 45.

Linsley, E.G. 1942. Systematics of the meloid genera Hornia and Allendesalazaria. (Coleoptera). University of California Publications in Entomology, 7: 169-188.

Lovell, J.H. 1915. The origin of anthophily among the Coleoptera. Psyche 22: 67–83.

MacKay, R.J. and P. Wollenman. 1981. An outbreak of blister beetle poisoning in horses in Florida. Florida Veterinary Journal 10: 11-13.

MacSwain, J.W. 1952. A synopsis of the genus Gnathium, with description of new species (Coleoptera, Meloidae). The Wasmann Journal of Biology 10: 205–224.

MacSwain, J.W. 1956. A classification of the first instar larvae of the Meloidae (Coleoptera). Entomology Volume 12. University of California Press. 182 pp.

MacSwain, J.W. 1958. Taxonomic and biological observations on the genus Hornia (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 51(4): 390-396.

Marschalek, D.A. 2013. Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) of Wisconsin: distribution and ecology. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison. viii + 349 pp.

Marschalek, D.A. and D.K. Young . 2013. Mark-Recapture study of Gnathium minimum (Say) (Coleoptera: Meloidae) reveals limited dispersal among Helianthus occidentalis patches. Entomological News 123(4): 285-291.

Maydell, G.G. 1934. New species of North American Meloidae, preliminary paper. Transactions of the Entomological Society of America 60(4): 327-336.

Parker, J.B. and A.G. Böving. 1924. The blister beetle Tricrania sanguinipennis—biology, descriptions of different stages, and systematic relationship. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 64(2513): 1-40.

Pinto, J.D. 1975. A taxonomic study of the genus Tegrodera (Coleoptera: Meloidae). The Canadian Entomologist 107: 45-66.

Pinto, J.D. 1979. A classification of the genus Eupompha (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 195: 391-459.

Pinto, J.D. 1980. Behavior and taxonomy of the Epicauta maculata group (Coleoptera: Meloidae). The University of California Publications in Entomology 89: 1-111.

Pinto, J.D. 1984. A taxonomic review of Cysteodemus LeConte, Phodaga LeConte and Pleuropasta Wellman (Coleoptera: Meloidae: Eupomphina) with a new generic synonymy. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 86: 127-143.

Pinto, J.D. 1991. The taxonomy of North American Epicauta (Coleoptera: Meloidae), with revision of the nominate subgenus and a survey of courtship behavior. University of California Publications in Entomology, 110: 372 pp.

Pinto, J.D. 2009. A taxonomic review of the genus Gnathium Kirby (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 135 (1+2): 1-58.

Pinto, J.D. and M.A. Bologna. 1999. The New World genera of Meloidae (Coleoptera): a key and synopsis. Journal of Natural History 33: 569-620.

*Pinto, J.D. and M.A. Bologna. 2002. Meloidae. Pp. 523–552. In: R.H. Arnett, Jr., M.C. Thomas, P.E. Skelley, and J.H. Frank (editors). American Beetles, Vol. II, Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press – LLC, Boca Raton, FL. XIV + 861 pp.

****Pinto, J.D. and R.B. Selander. 1970. The bionomics of blister beetles of the genus Meloe and a classification of the New World species. Illinois Biological Monographs 42: 1-222.

Pritchett, A.H. 1903. Some experiments in feeding lizards with protectively colored insects. The Biological Bulletin 5: 271-287.

Riley, C.V. 1877. On a remarkable new genus in Meloidae infesting mason bee cells in the United States. Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, 3: 563-565.

Riley, C.V. 1878. Transformations of blister beetle larvae. American Naturalist 12: 213-219, 282-290.

Saul-Gershenz, L.S. and J.G. Millar. 2006. Phoretic nest parasites use sexual deception to obtain transport to their host's nest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103, 14039–14044.

Schmidt, J.P. 2008. Insects of Western North America. 7. The blister beetles (Meloidae) of Colorado. C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, CSU, Fort Collins, CO. iii + 296 pp.

Schoeb, T.R. and R.J. Panciera. 1978. Blister beetle poisoning in horses. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 173: 75-77

Schoeb, T.R. and R.J. Panciera. 1979. Pathology of blister beetle (Epicauta) poisoning in horses. Veterinary Pathology 16: 18-31.

Selander, E.B. 1957. Descriptions and records of North American Meloidae. I. (Coleoptera). Proceedings of The Entomological Society of Washington 59(3): 135-141.

***Selander, R.B. 1960. Bionomics, systematics and phylogeny of Lytta, a genus of blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Illinois Biological Monographs, No. 28, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.

Selander, R.B. 1963. New species and new synonymy in Pyrota Dejean (Coleoptera: Meloidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 17(2): 33-41.

Selander, R.B. 1964. Sexual behavior in blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) I. The genus Pyrota. The Canadian Entomologist 96: 1037–1081.

Selander, R.B. 1965. A taxonomic revision of the genus Megetra (Co1eoptera: Meloidae) with ecological  and behavioral notes. Canadian Entomologist 97(6): 561-580. 

Selander, R.B. 1966. A classification of the genera and higher taxa of the meloid subfamily Eleticinae (Coleoptera). Canadian entomologist, 98: 449-481.

Selander, R.B. 1981. Evidence for a third type of larval prey in blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 54: 757-783.

Selander, R.B. 1982. Further studies of predation of meloid eggs by meloid larvae (Coleoptera). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 55(3): 427-441.

Selander, R.B. 1982. A revision of the genus Pyrota. I. The Mylabrina Group (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 55(4): 665-717.

Selander, R.B. 1982. A revision of the genus Pyrota. III. The Pacifica and Nobilis groups (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 108(4): 459-478.

Selander, R.B. 1983. A revision of the genus Pyrota. II. The Postica group (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 85: 69-85.

Selander, R.B. 1983. A revision of the genus Pyrota. IV. The Tenuicostatis group (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 56 (1): 1-19.

Selander, R.B. 1991. On the nomenclature and classification of the Meloidae (Coleoptera). Insecta Mundi 5: 65–94.

Staines C.L. 1983. The Meloidae of Maryland. Maryland Entomologist 2(3): 41-52.

Torchio, P. and J. Bosch. 1992. Biology of Tricrania stansburyi, a meloid beetle cleptoparasite of the bee Osmia lignaria propinqua (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 85: 713–721.

Vaurie, P. 1950. The blister beetles of north central Mexico (Coleoptera: Meloidae). American Museum Novitates. No. 1477: 68 pp.

Wickham, H.F. 1905. New species of Coleoptera from the western United States. Second Paper. Canadian Entomologist 37: 165–171.

Werner, F.G. 1944. Some North American species of Epicauta (Coleop., Meloidae). Psyche, 50: 65-73.

Werner, F.G. 1945. A revision of the genus Epicauta in America north of Mexico (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 95: 421-517.

Werner, F.G. 1950(1951). Additions to the Nearctic Meloidae (Col.). Psyche 57: 131-136.

Werner, F.G. 1974. A new genus of primitive Meloidae from west Texas (Coleoptera). Psyche 81: 147-154.

Werner, F.G., W.R. Enns, and F.H. Parker. 1966. The Meloidae of Arizona. University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 175. 96 pp.

Wilhelmi, A.P. and H.W. Krenn. 2012. Elongated mouthparts of nectar-feeding Meloidae (Coleoptera).Zoomorphology 131: 325-337.

Oct. 19, 2015 © Mike Quinn / entomike@gmail.com / Texas Entomology /  Texas Beetle Resources / Photo Techniques