Drill-driver DEKO GCD12DU3 Li-ion, 1x1.5Ah, Replaceable battery, 12 V, 32 Nm, 1 battery
1697 ₽ More details
Drill/driver DEKO DKCD16FU Li-ion in case + 63 accessories, 2x1.5Ah, Replaceable battery, 16 V, 32 Nm, 2 batteries
3168 ₽ More details
Tanning oils
Small in size, with a bright interesting color, attracting attention - this is the blister beetle. But appearances are deceiving and touching an insect in some conditions is life-threatening.
Blister beetles can be very dangerous
What are the appearance features
In the photo, the blister beetle shows a bright color with a metallic tint. The head is narrowed, antennae are also located here, there are no wings, but there are flexible elytra, but they cover a small part of the chest. The total length of the body is two centimeters, it is elongated. In some species it can even drag along the ground. Main colors:
- bright red;
- yellow;
- green.
The appearance of different types of blister may differ. But the lifestyle is almost the same. These insects are parasites; females lay at least 10 thousand eggs during their lifetime. The main victims of blister are locusts and bees, so the expectant mother places the eggs closer to them in the soil.
The larvae appear after about three weeks, they are amber-yellow in color with three limbs, scientifically they are called triungulins. The larvae eat other insects, which they find using their sensitive sense of smell.
These beetles eat locusts
They can easily penetrate a beehive; several methods are used for this:
- in a flower, bees wait for the bee to land and then cling to it, flying away together;
- the second method is more interesting - triungulins create a living ball, clinging to each other, and secrete enzymes similar to bees. As a result, the male picks them up and carries them into the hive.
Inside they eat nectar, honey and bee larvae.
Blisters (Meloidae)
S.E. CHERNYSHEV
Surely almost everyone has encountered blisters - in the field, in books, in the pharmacy, in jokes. It is difficult not to notice them, long, soft, with brightly colored elytra, sitting on meadow flowers, or in masses eating astragalus in the steppe. Well, the old familiar Spanish fly is a bright representative of this glorious tribe in numerous fairy tales and funny stories. There are more than 2,000 species of blister in the world, they are most diverse in Africa, America and Australia. In Russia, their fauna is much more modest - only about 100 species.
Although some species are found in the forest ( Lytta vesicatoria, Mylabris sibirica, Meloe proscarabaeus
etc.), blister beetles are bright representatives of the steppe fauna. It seems as if they were deliberately created as a counterbalance to their relatives, the modest hard-working darkling beetles: painted in bright red-yellow, or green-metallic colors, blister beetles love to “soak up the sun”, opening their elytra and exposing their abdomen to the scorching rays.
But let's take a look at the beetles themselves and their lives in a little more detail.
Habitually, blister beetles are distinguished by a rather large body (in many species more than 1.5 cm) and relatively soft integument. The head is usually large, wider than the pronotum, flattened, located somewhat vertically to the axis of the body (hypognathic). The eyes are small, round or transverse, finely faceted, sometimes with a small notch near the antennae. Upper lip transverse ( Meloe, Lytta, Mylabris
), or longitudinal (
Cerocoma, Rampholyssa
), its anterior edge is straight or slightly depressed.
The mandibles are large, evenly curved, only in some representatives ( Epicauta
) with sharp teeth along the inner edge.
The labial palps are short, three-segmented, the maxillary palps are larger, consist of four segments, their apical segment can be of very different shapes: from cylindrical ( Epicauta, Mylabris
) to axe-shaped (
Cerocoma
).
The oral organs of blister beetles are also diverse: in species whose imagoes are aphagous, the oral organs are reduced ( Stenoria
), in anthophilous species (
Zonitis
) the oral organs are of a normal structure, and in those that feed on nectar they can be very elongated (
Nemognatha
).
The antennae in most species are thread-like or bead-shaped; in the males of some species [ Cerocoma, Rampholyssa
(Fig. 6),
Epicauta
,
Meloe
], the antennal segments are greatly elongated and sometimes modified.
Rice. 1-6. Blister habit: 1 - Meloe erythrocnema
Pall.
(Meloini). 2 - Epicauta erythrocephala
(Pall.) (Epicautini).
3 - Deratus fasciatus
(Fald.) (Sitarini).
4 - Megatrachelus sibirica
(Tausch.) (Zonitidini).
5 - Mylabris mongolica
(Dokht.) (Mylabrini).
6 - Rhampholyssa steveni
(FW). (Cerocomini). (Fig. 5 taken from the work of Mordkovich, 1965; figures 2, 6 from the work of Kryzhanovsky, 1965).
The pronotum in blister beetles has no lateral edge, is evenly smoothed laterally, usually narrower than the head and elytra.
Wings with simple venation, in some species they are completely reduced ( Meloe
).
Blisters with normally developed wings usually fly well, among them there are good flyers with perfect fast flight ( Rampholyssa
).
In many species, the elytra are well developed, but in representatives of the genera Meloe, Stenoria, Sitaris, Nemognatha, Apalus
and some others, they are reduced to a greater or lesser extent (Fig. 1, 3).
The elytra of some blister beetles have a bright metallic color ( Lytta, Teratolytta, Alosymus
, etc.), while others have a characteristic color pattern (
Mylabris, Zonitis, Euzonitis, Apalus, Stenoria
, etc.).
The legs of blisterfish are usually long and thin. The spurs on the shins of the legs are like equal-sized spine-shaped ones ( Mylabris
), so may vary in shape (
Meloe
) or size (
Euzonitis
).
The first tarsal segment in males may bear a kind of species-specific notch ( Lytta
). The claws of the tarsi have additional narrow plates; between the claws of the middle and hind tarsi there is an additional plate bearing setae - the empodium.
The abdomen consists of 7 visible sternites, the apical sternite in males of some species ( Lytta vesicatoria
L.) has a deep notch in the middle.
The genital apparatus of males in the family Meloidae - the phallus, is represented by a penis tube (aedeagus), narrow parameres tightly covering the penis and a tegumen (phallobase). The aedeagus contains an internal sac that ends in a horn-like rod, the ligula, which has one or more denticles. The aedeagus itself also has from one to two small sharp teeth at the apex. The number and shape of the phallus teeth are a good generic sign.
Sexual dimorphism is not sharply expressed. Only in some species can males have modified body segments: these are either expanded antennal segments, notched tarsal segments, or excised urites. In the genus Meloe, females are much larger than males, with a wide, pouch-like abdomen filled with maturing eggs.
Blister larvae ( Epicauta, Mylabris
etc.), parasitizing in the egg capsules of Orthoptera, are predatory, eating the host’s egg clutches.
The larvae of blister beetles ( Cerocoma, Lytta, Meloe, Zonitis,
etc.), parasitizing Hymenoptera, entering the host cell, eat its larva, then feed on the reserves prepared for it (honey, insects).
Adults of blister beetles are phytophagous, many of them are anthophilous ( Mylabris, Megatrachelus
, etc.), some feed on nectar (
Nemognatha, Sitaris
), some are aphagous (
Stenoria
), most (
Lytta, Meloe, Mylabris, Alosimus, Lydus
, etc.) eat leaves , shoots or inflorescences of plants.
Originality of beetles of the family Meloidae and their place in the order Coleoptera
According to modern views on the taxonomy of the order Coleoptera (Crowson, 1955; Lawrence at all. 1995; Nikitsky, 1992; Kireychuk, 1992), the family Meloidae belongs to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, which is included in the infraorder Cucujiformia of the suborder Polyphaga. Blisters differ from other families that make up Tenebrionoidea in a set of important characters: the number of tarsal segments (the formula of which in both sexes is 5-5-4); a sharp cervical constriction separating the head from the pronotum; claws split along the length, having appendages in the form of plates (Arnett, 1962; Kryzhanovsky, 1965; Kireychuk, 1992). In addition, blister bugs are distinguished by their elongated body, relatively long legs and soft integument.
A distinctive physiological feature is the presence of the toxic substance cantharidin in the hemolymph of blister beetles. This poison is harmful to vertebrates (Pavlovsky and Stein, 1923; Kuzin, 1954; Kryzhanovsky, 1965), but some birds and mammals can eat blister beetles (Kuzin, 1953). It is the presence of cantharidin that, according to S.M. Yablokov-Khnzoryan (1983), attracts specific blister parasites - Coleoptera (Anthicidae, Cleridae), Diptera (Ceratopogonidae). Another characteristic physiological feature of blister bugs is their feeding activity. Inhabiting arid landscapes, blister beetles feed on vegetation, particularly consuming leaves (Shukla & Singh, 1982). In their work, the authors showed that in laboratory conditions the blister beetle Rhabdopalpa atripennis
F. consumed about 5 times more masses of
Luffa cylindrica
than flowers, and about 11 times more than shoots. In nature, in the hot sun of the steppe landscape, blister beetles absorb a large mass of green parts of the plant, throwing out practically undigested food remains in the form of excrement. Blisters probably need this amount of green mass to replenish water reserves inside the body.
A characteristic feature of beetles of the family Meloidae is the type of ontogenesis - hypermetamorphosis. This type of development is extremely rare in the order Coleoptera, and among the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, in addition to blisters, only some fantails (Rhipiphoridae) have them. Larvae during hypermetamorphosis are habitually very different at different stages of beetle development (see Fig. 7). The primary larva, triungulin, has long been accepted as an independent taxon. Fabricius described it as Pediculus apis
. Later, Newport (1851) established that triungulin belongs to blisters. Much work on studying the developmental features of blister beetles inhabiting the Eurasian steppes was carried out by A.A. Zakhvatkin (1929, 1954). Some work on this topic was carried out by other researchers (Pukhova, 1922; Zaripova, Pripisnova, 1973; Zaripova, 1973; Pryamikova, 1953; Pryamikova, Yukhnevich, 1958, etc.).
The individual development of blister beetles is hypermetamorphosis and contains a complex cycle of transformations, schematically depicted in Figure 7. The female lays eggs on the surface of the soil or on a plant, often in one heap ( b)
.
From the laid eggs emerges the primary larva - triungulin ( c
) [of the caraboid (according to Porchinsky, 1914), or campodiform (according to Kuzin, 1953) type]
.
Further, if the blister beetle belongs to a group that parasitizes locusts, the triungulin, actively moving, looks for an entrance to the locust egg capsule.
In the genus Semenovilia,
triungulin has powerful digging limbs, which allows it to penetrate into the egg capsule located under the soil layer.
Once in the nest, the triungulin eats the egg and moults into a second instar larva (d).
This larva continues feeding and soon molts into a worm-like larva of the third instar
(e),
scaraboid (according to Porchinsky, 1914) or erucoidal (according to Kuzin, 1953) type.
After completely consuming the clutch, the third instar larva turns into a false pupa ( f).
The blister overwinters at the false pupa stage and can remain there for quite a long time.
In case of unfavorable climatic conditions, the beetle may remain at this stage throughout the next year (Porchinsky, 1894). Under favorable conditions, the false pupa turns into a non-feeding larva of the fourth instar (g)
[stage of the prepupal (according to Kuzin, 1953), or scolitoid (according to Porchinsky, 1914) larva], which soon turns into a pupa (
h).
After a few days, the imago emerges from the pupa (A.A. Zakhvatkin, 1954).
Ontogenesis proceeds somewhat differently in blister bees, which parasitize bees. Triungulin reaches the flower of the plant, where it awaits the bee. Under favorable conditions, it clings to the hairs of the bee's abdomen and is phoretically transferred to the host's nest, where, when an egg is laid, it descends along the ovipositor and eats it, molting into a second-instar larva, which then feeds on the host's larva's reserves (Fabre, 1924; Zakhvatkin, 1954).
Adults are born either in early spring ( Meloe, Mylabris
), either in midsummer (
Lytta, Megatrachelus, Deratus, Mylabris,
etc.) or at the end of summer (
Meloe autumnalis
).
Adults of many species of the genera Epicauta, Mylabris, Meloe, Lytta, Alosimus, Lydus
and others feed most often on leguminous plants, but can easily switch to potatoes (
Epicauta
),
Lytta
to strawberries, ash, lilac, long-leaved speedwell and other plants not typical of steppe stations.
Representatives of some genera of the subfamily Zonitidinae ( Stenoria
) at the adult stage are aphagi. They are almost independent of steppe vegetation. Larvae, as mentioned above, in a certain situation either become predatory, eating clutches of eggs or larvae in the nests of their hosts, or feed on the reserves of host larvae. The fact that almost the entire period of larval development of Meloidae - from the triungulin reaching the nest of the hosts to the adult emerging from the pupa - takes place in the soil, in rock crevices, dead wood and other protected places chosen by locusts or solitary hymenoptera for nest construction, suggests that the group is little dependent on sudden changes in environmental climatic conditions. The pseudopupa stage, in which the blister may linger for a year or several years in the event of unfavorable weather, also highlights this conclusion. The developing blister beetle located in the soil, however, cannot be fully classified as a pedobiont - it is reliably protected from changes in the soil environment - humidity, chemicals, etc. shell of the host's nest. Thus, blister beetles are a group of animals that is quite independent of environmental conditions, which allows it to exist stably in the steppes, despite the arid climate.
The dependence on the steppe nature of the landscape is most clearly manifested through trophic connections at the pre-imaginal stage of development. Larvae of beetles from the genera Epicauta, Mylabris, Alosimus
, some
Lytta
and others feed on the eggs of Orthoptera, which are firmly connected by trophic connections and relationship to the climatic conditions of the landscape with the steppes.
Many of them are not found in other landscapes, being typical steppe animals. Another group of blisters - most of the subfamily Zonitidinae, species of the genera Meloe, Lytta, Oenas, Cerocoma, Rampholyssa
at the preimaginal stage develop on the larvae of solitary hymenoptera from the genera
Anthophora, Andrena, Eucera, Osmia, Halictus, Colletes, Nomada, Tachites
(Fabre, 1924; Yablokov-Khnzorian, 1983).
Most of the mentioned Hymenoptera species are also associated with steppes - either with steppe flowering forbs, on which bees (Apoidea) ( Megachile
) collect nectar, or with various steppe habitats, where some wasps (Vespoidea) (
Tachites
) prey. The connection of this group of insects with the steppe landscape is also emphasized by the fact that solitary hymenoptera, making nests in the soil, choose areas well heated by the sun, which contributes to better conditioning of the nest and the development of larvae (Fabre, 1857).
In addition to the trophic connections of blister beetles in the steppe landscape, it should be noted their physiological adaptability to excessive insolation in arid conditions. This group of beetles is characterized by the phenomenon when the beetle “warms up” in the sun, raising its elytra and exposing its abdomen to the sun’s rays. Apparently, in this way, blisters quickly restore activity after a cool night and activate internal physiological processes. It is likely that blister beetles protect themselves from excessive overheating and loss of moisture both by absorbing a large amount of green plant mass, as discussed above, and, according to B.S. Kuzin (1953), by frequent non-directional flights. Another adaptation of blister beetles to living conditions in arid landscapes can be considered their method of colonizing host nests (see Chapter 1.2, p. 14). The flat surface of the steppe, with a significant number of areas free from vegetation, is more convenient for the triungulin, which is actively searching for the host’s nest, than a forest or meadow surface.
Thus, at different stages of development, beetles of the family Meloidae are associated with different tiers of the steppe ecosystem: adults are mostly chortobionts or herpetobionts, larvae, starting from the second molt, can be more classified as pedobionts. The close connection of blister beetles with the steppe landscape is confirmed by a number of ecological, trophic, and physiological adaptations, which emphasizes the stability of their existence in the landscape under consideration and makes it possible to use this group of animals to analyze the patterns of distribution and distribution of animals in the steppe zone of Eurasia.
Biocenotic connections and
economic importance of blister
Beetles of the family Meloidae are interesting not only for studying their diverse roles in ecosystems; their presence in a landscape subject to agricultural cultivation affects human economic activity, and the peculiarity of the chemical composition of blood has long been used in medicine.
In the larval phase, blister beetles parasitize the nests of locusts or some Hymenoptera, significantly affecting the balance of host numbers. Although the main targets of parasitism among Hymenoptera are solitary Hymenoptera, the larvae of some blister beetles (for example, Meloe variegata
Don.,
Meloe proscarabaeus
L.) are capable of developing in the nests of social bees, which can harm beekeeping (Demokidov, 1905; Yablokov-Khnzorian, 1983).
It is known that some representatives of the genus Meloe
L. cause a disease in bees - meleosis (Yablokov-Khnzorian, 1983).
In a series of experiments carried out on bees infected with triungulins Meloe variegata
Dej., V.I. Poltev (1950) showed that the larvae of t-shirts, usually attaching to the bee between the meso- and metathorax, not only cause tactile irritation, but also suck the bee’s blood, which is confirmed in the experiment with the coloring of the hemolymph of bees: after some time, the hemolymph of the triungulins also becomes stained.
At the same time, the bee experiences strong excitement and tries to cleanse itself of parasites, in which other bees help it. The disease often ends in death. It should be noted that the miki living in Siberia do not parasitize the nests of social insects, but the triungulins Meloe brevicollis
Pz., climbing onto the body of a bee, can greatly disturb it.
Because of this, the bees become very weak and their productivity decreases. In addition, when trying to experimentally breed bees of the genus Megachile
L., one has to face the problem of mass parasitization in their nests
by Meloe brevicollis
. As noted by B.S. Kuzin (1953), the harm caused by blister bugs parasitizing in the nests of solitary Hymenoptera is no less noticeable, since this reduces the number of natural pollinators among bees and predators among wasps.
Blisters, parasitizing Orthoptera, have a noticeable effect on the number of locusts, which are one of the main agricultural pests (Kuzin, 1953; Zakhvatkin, 1931, 1954). Within the Eurasian steppes, parasitism of blister beetles has been observed in egg capsules of Dociostaurus kraussi, D. marrocanus, D. brevicollis, Calliptamus italicus, Pararcyptera microptera, Arcyptera fusca, Podisma pedestris, Schistocerca
gregaria, Aeropus sibiricus, Chorthippus apricarius, Ch.
albomarginatus, Ch. biguttulus, Omocestus haemorrhoidalis, Stenobothrus nigromaculatus and some other species (Porchinsky, 1914; Reichardt, 1922; Shapinsky, 1924; Pukhova, 1922; Yazykov (Zakhvatkin), 1931; Zakhvatkin, 1954; Kuzin, 1953; Kryzhanovsky, 1974).
This fact was optimistically perceived as a way to significantly influence the number of Orthoptera (Porchinsky, 1914; Shapinsky, 1924). Considering the complexity of the life cycle of locusts, it was proposed to send infected locust egg capsules to places of their mass reproduction (Rubtsov, 1948). However, the blister beetles that emerge from the locust egg capsules the following year are themselves serious pests, since they can damage crops (Kuzin, 1953; Cherepanov, 1951; Pinto, Selander, 1963; Kryzhanovsky, 1974). In addition, the hemolymph of blister beetles contains a strong poison - cantharidin, which can cause severe poisoning and death of pasture animals (Porchinsky, 1914; Kuzin, 1953). In his work, I.A. Porchinsky writes about the harmful effects of blister bugs on animals, citing the example of the death of camels in Central Asia. He notes that the Kyrgyz [Kazakhs] gave a special name to the beetle Mylabris frolovi
Germ.
“Alla-gulyuk”, since with its appearance on sparse vegetation, the death of camels begins, eating greenery with beetles. The consequences are so serious that local residents had to migrate to the valleys, driving herds from the left bank of the Syr-Darya River to the right, to the Karakum Desert. But cantharidin does not have such significant toxicity in all animals. In the experiments of H. Beauregard (1890) it is clear that the poison of the tank top ( Meloe
) strongly repels reptiles, and Queneau showed on the lizards
Lacerta agilis
and
Agama bibroni
the nerve-paralytic effect of cantharidin, while amphibians ate a large number of beetles (
Lytta
F.) without harm to your own body.
However, it was noted that cantharidin accumulates in the meat of these frogs, and can cause poisoning in people who eat meat (Porchinsky, 1914). According to the observations of N.F. Bunner and A.N. Horvat (Porchinsky, 1914), hedgehogs are able to eat a huge amount of T-shirts without much harm to the body, but “all, without exception, hedgehogs fed only on Spanish flies were observed to lose weight , constantly decreased in weight” (Porchinsky, 1914, pp. 25-26). Lytta vesicatoria
beetles without much harm to themselves .
Among invertebrates, Trichodes apiarius
L. (Porchinsky, 1914; Kuzin, 1954),
Trichodes spectabilis
F. (Zakhvatkin, 1931) are actively preyed upon, and flies of the Bombyliidae family are also parasitized (Zakhvatkin, 1954).
By attacking crops, blister bugs can cause serious damage. They primarily damage legumes and potatoes (Cherepanov, 1951; Kryzhanovsky, 1974), but are noted on many other crops: turnips, mustard, oats, onions, asparagus (Pinto, Selander, 1963; Selander, 1960). In general, representatives of the Meloidae family do not have a narrow food specialization and can feed on plants containing toxic substances - Ranunculaceae ( Meloe
) (Pinto, Selander, 1963);
Scrophulariaceae ( Lytta vesicatoria
). Gathering in masses, blister bugs are able to move from one type of plant to another, moving from pastures to fields and vegetable gardens. Given this fact, it is difficult to predict the harmfulness of blister bugs in any area, which precludes their use in biological pest control.
As noted above, blister beetles contain a poison in the blood - cantharidin, the structural formula of which is shown below (according to Orlov et al., 1990):
The composition and effect of this poison were studied in detail by Beauregard (Beauregard, 1890). I.A. Porchinsky (1914) wrote that “it is enough for a person to eat one beetle (Spanish fly or T-shirt) for the poison to have a fatal effect on the body.” It is difficult to agree with this statement, because, although N.A. Reichardt (1934) pointed out that for a person, when taken orally, the lethal dose of cantharidin is 0.03 g, and its content in the dry preparation is Lytta vesicatoria
L. - 0.56%,
Mylabris phalerata
Pall.
- 1.03%, Epicauta dubia
F. - 2.02% (Riu, 1930), however, in the hemolymph of the beetle the poison is in a bound state and does not pose a lethal danger if such a small amount is ingested.
The effect of the blood of blister beetles - “Spanish flies” - on human internal organs and skin has been known since ancient times. Once inside, the poison causes inflammation of the genitourinary and excretory systems, which in small doses was used as a diuretic. In the pharmacopoeia, the powder from blisters has the name “Cantharides” and has been an export item for a long time, being used as a blister plaster for external use. According to Reichardt (1934), the USSR exported Lytta vesicatoria, L. menetriesi, L. flavovittata
abroad.
E.N. Pavlovsky in a series of works showed the positive side of the use of drugs from vesicles.
Currently, blister beetles are practically not used for medical purposes, as they have been replaced by synthetic drugs.
In conclusion, it should be noted that blister beetles are quite beautiful beetles; their coloration has a complex color pattern; Gathering in masses, they give the landscape a unique look, causing positive emotions in most people. Color aberrations of beetles are used by specialists in the field of genetics, taxonomy, zoogeography and ecology (Kuzin, 1954; Abylkasymova, 1982-1983; Abylkasymova, Tursunova, Sadykova, 1984; Abylkasymova, Bakirova, 1988).
LITERATURE
I would like to note that despite the fact that blister beetles have been well studied, there are still no major reports on them. To identify beetles, it is necessary to use separate works, which is not easy, taking into account the extreme variability of the beetles themselves. So they still remain a difficult group to define. Here is some literature that can help in one way or another in determining.
Aksentiev S.I. 103. Sem. Meloidae - Narynniki // Key to insects of the Russian Far East. 1996. T. III. Part 3. Page 45-56
Aksentiev S.I. Catalog of taxa of the genus group of beetles of the family Meloidae (Coleoptera) // Entomol. review 1988. T. XLVII. N 3. P. 569-582.
Kryzhanovsky O.L. Overview of species of the genus Teratolytta
(Coleoptera, Meloidae), found in the USSR, with a description of two new forms from Tajikistan // Entomol. review 1959. T. XXXVIII. N 4. pp. 855-859.
Kryzhanovsky O.L. 1965. 74. Sem. Meloidae // Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. M.-L.: Science. 1965. T.2. pp. 382-388.
Kuzin B.S. Blister beetles of Kazakhstan // Tr. republics plant protection stations. Alma-Ata, 1953. P. 148.
Kuzin B.S. Towards knowledge of the system of blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae, M y labrini) // Tr. All-Union entomol. society. 1954. T. 44. pp. 337-379.
Mordkovich V.G., Chernyshev S.E. Species richness of blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae) in the continental gradient of Eurasia // News of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ser. Biological, 199 9. N 3. P. 319-328.
Pryamikova M.A., Yukhnevich L.A. Key to the primary larvae of blister beetles of the tribe Mylabrini (Coleoptera, Meloidae) of the fauna of the USSR // Entomol. review T.XXXVII. N 1. 1958. P.176-182.
Reichardt A.N. Key to blister beetles and blister beetles parasitizing in locust egg capsules. Petrograd. 1922. P. 30.
Reichardt A.N. Key and list of blister beetles of Turkmenistan // Tr. Council for the Study of Productive Forces of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Turkmen series. Issue 6. 1934. pp.205-239.
Chernyshev S.E., Aksentiev S.I. [Blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae) of Mongolia.] // Russian Entomological Journal, 1996. Vol. 5. N 1-4. P. 49-57. (English, Russian summary)
Yablokov-Khnzoryan S.M. Mikes and pollen eaters // Fauna of the Armenian SSR. Coleopterous insects. Yerevan. 1983. 155 p.
Arnett, R.H. The beetles of the United States (A manual for Identification). Fascicle 62: Meloidae. Washington. 1962. P. 621-627.
Borchmann FH 1917. Meloidae // Junk W. & Schenkling S. Coleopterorum catalogus. T.17. Pt.69. Berlin. 208 p.
Mader L. Meloidae // Winkler A.: Catalogus Coleopterorum regionis Palaearcticae. Edit by A.Winkler. 1926. Part 6. Wien. S.851-880.
Pardo AA Estudios sobre "Meloidae". I. Acerca de la validez especifica de Mylabris maculosopunctata
Grils,
rosinae
Escher.
y pauper
Escher. // EOS. 1948. Vol. 24. P. 493-502.
Pardo AA Los generos de Meloidae de la fauna hesperica // Graellsia. 1950a. Vol. 8. P. 39-79.
Pardo AA Estudios sobre "Meloidae". II. Los "Mylabrini" de la peninsula Iberica // Bol. Patol. Veget. Ent. Agr. 1950b. P. 61-82.
Pinto JD, Selander RB The Bionomics of Blister Beetles of the Genus Meloe
and a Classification of the New World Species // Illinois biological Monographs. 1970. Vol. 42.222 p.
Pinto JD The taxonomy of North American Epicauta
(Coleoptera, Meloidae), with a revision of the nominate subgenus and a survey of courtship behavior // Univ. Calif. Publ. Entomol. 1991. Vol. RUR 110.379 39 pls.
Selander RB Bionomics, sistematics and phylogeny of Lytta
, a genus of blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae) // Illinois biological Monography. 1960. P.28-295.
Selander RB A classification of the genera and higher taxa of the Meloid subfamily Eleticini (Coleoptera) // Canada. Entomol. 1966. Vol.98. N 5. P. 449-481.
S.E. Chernyshev 7.2.2000
|
Is a beetle useful or harmful?
Adult females and males do not harm the environment. They feed on green plants. The larvae are parasites and in some cases have a positive effect, for example, they destroy locusts and reduce the number of harmful crops. But at the same time they pose a threat to garden species: potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, grains and others. They cause damage to beekeepers by eating honey and bee colonies.
The beetle contains toxins in the body and can cause intoxication; this is especially common in animals that decide to feast on the insect.
Read on topic:
Features of the life activity of ladybugs
14.11.2020
Description of chironomids and their possible danger to humans
14.11.2020
What do cutworms look like and what harm do they cause?
14.11.2020
What do goliath beetles look like and can they be bred at home?
14.11.2020
If qualified assistance is not provided in a timely manner, the dog or cat may die; kittens and puppies have much less chance of survival than adult pets.
In the past, blisters were used in pharmaceuticals for the preparation of certain drugs - diuretics and improving potency. But such drugs had a lot of side effects, negatively affecting the nervous system, the functioning of the kidneys and liver.
When bitten, beetles release a toxic substance
For humans, the insect bite itself is not dangerous, but the threat is caused by a substance - cantharidin, which the beetle secretes. It is poisonous and causes a burn on the skin, a blister or an abscess. Therefore, therapy with antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs is necessary.
How to deal with a pest
There is no clear single mechanism. Pests are widespread throughout the entire warm period of the year. Experts suggest fighting the blister beetle using biological, agrotechnical, and folk methods.
- Ashes are sprayed on the site, ash and tobacco dust are scattered. The products repel adults.
- Dig up the soil in autumn and spring. This will help destroy the larvae.
- The natural enemies of blister beetles are hedgehogs. Insect venom does not affect these animals. If you place a hedgehog on your property, you can also get rid of rodents.
It is advisable to use chemicals if blister larvae are noticed on plants. Do not use insecticides during flowering.
What types of blisters are there?
There are a huge number of varieties of blisters, the most famous are:
- Quadruple.
- Saffron.
- Changeable.
- Dressy.
- Spotted.
- Cotton.
- Diverse.
The most famous is the Spanish fly or T-shirt.
One of the varieties is the Spanish fly
Morphological description of the species
The red-headed blister (Epicauta erythrocephalata) is a member of the blister family. The beetle is of medium size 12-18 mm, the body is narrow and long. The head is a bright orange-red color, with a black stripe running down the middle. The eyes are oval, the antennae are 11-segmented. The pronotum is narrower than the elytra. The main color is black, with a stripe of light hairs in the middle. The elytra are flexible and do not reach the end of the abdomen. The color is black, bordered with white along the perimeter, and the same longitudinal stripe runs along the back. The light areas form hairs. The abdomen is covered with short gray hairs. In case of danger, the beetles secrete droplets of toxic liquid from the joints of the limbs.
The bright color of the head signals the danger of the insect.
Lifestyle, habitat
Insects feed on leaves or plant juices. They prefer one type of plant, similar in class or completely different. The leaf beetle multiplies quickly, lays eggs on the leaves, the larvae penetrate into the plate and form mines. The presence of tubercles of different colors - red, green, white, brown - indicates the presence of baby beetles inside.
Some types of leaf beetles lay eggs closer to the root system of trees and shrubs; the larvae live in the soil. Formed, strong plants are not harmed. Terrestrial “residents” are capable of gnawing off the entire green part of a bush or young tree in a season, leaving only the skeleton. For these reasons, the leaf beetle has been declared an inveterate pest of agricultural crops, and is being fought against year after year.
Leaf beetles common in our country are:
- poplar;
- alder;
- viburnum;
- rapeseed;
- aspen;
- elm;
- green.
Leaf beetles
Adults gnaw holes in the leaves, the larvae eat the entire green part, leaving only the veins.
Classification
The family Geotrupidae has over 600 species of pustules, a small part of them (20 pcs.) linger in Russia. Pustule-dwellers are divided into several subfamilies:
- The genus Bolboceratidae includes large and medium-sized beetles, most of which live in the Palearctic. The size of the adult is 15-23 mm, the antennae have 11 segments, the club has 3 segments. Covered with black, brown or bicolor. The krill are kindly excused and vikorist for overflows. Adults eat mushrooms, larvae eat humus.
Bolbocerosomaconfusum
- Hydrodina Geotrupinae are beetles of medium size, with a distinctive feature of protruding upper slits and lip. The mace is lamellar or enveloping. On the front ends, 4-9 teeth are spread along the outer edge. The basis of their diet is the excrement of the animals. Beetles also eat mushrooms and forest litter.
podrodina Geotrupinae
- Pidrodina Lethrinae are beetles with an oval, convex body, the length of which does not exceed 30-35 mm. Characteristic of rice is the presence of mandible appendages on the upper slit of males. The mace envelops, its joints do not open, and it looks like it is hanging. Krills have lost their lethal function. Beetles live in burrows; during the period of reproduction, males show aggressiveness towards their superniks. The steam bath is on the surface. Leaves and pasta are prepared for feeding the larvae.
Lethrusapterus
Where do bugs come from in an apartment?
When the owners notice that black beetles have appeared in the room, despite the fact that there is no disorder in the room and the cleaning was carried out on time, the question immediately arises where they could come from.
Ways of appearance of beetles in an apartment:
- cracks in walls, window frames, into which small insects can easily crawl;
- ventilation shafts and openings in which protective nets are not installed;
- windows and vents, open for ventilation, can become an “entrance door” through which flying insects fly into the apartment;
- through risers of sewer and water pipes;
- black beetles appear in apartments in the summer, clinging to people’s shoes or clothes, thus penetrating the living rooms and kitchen;
- from a neighboring basement or attic.
Fighting methods
Blisters help control the number of locusts and Italian locusts. Usually the benefits of insects outweigh the possible harm. But in large quantities, the red-headed blister poses a danger to vegetable gardens and fields. To combat it, agrotechnical methods are used:
- autumn plowing;
- weed control.
On a personal plot, shpanok are manually collected and destroyed. The work is carried out early in the morning, always wearing gloves that protect the skin. In some cases, it is necessary to treat plants with insecticides.
Imago lifestyle
Clumsy insects with a thick body stay on the ground and crawl along stumps and herbaceous plants. Adults feed on cereals and love clover, dandelions, buttercups, anemones, and violets. If they find themselves near fields with vegetables, they damage agricultural crops. You can meet beetles in various biotypes: steppes, meadows, forest edges
To continue the life cycle, it is important to have nearby open areas suitable for solitary bees to settle.
Adults appear in spring, in April. After additional feeding they begin to mate. Beetles are slow and clumsy and do not run away from danger. Their hemolymph contains a highly toxic substance called cantharidin, which can kill small animals. When the oily liquid comes into contact with human skin, it causes an allergic reaction and blisters appear.
In regions where the area of meadows is shrinking, construction is taking place, plowing is taking place, grass is being mowed, and the number of purple t-shirts is decreasing. Due to the lack of wings, beetles cannot move long distances in search of new habitats.
Reproduction
Mating is the finale of the life of males; after transferring the seed to the female, they die. For laying, a place is chosen close to a colony of solitary bees. The female digs a hole in soft soil. In one clutch the number of eggs reaches 1000 pieces. The female makes 2-3 separate burrows with eggs. After this, it also dies. The larvae appear after 30-40 days.
The blister family is characterized by hypermetamorphosis. This type of insect development is transitional between complete and incomplete metamorphosis. The first instar larvae, called triungulins, differ from the older instars. External differences are related to lifestyle. Triungulins are actively moving, looking for hosts for further development. Once in a bee's nest, they moult and turn into short-legged, worm-like parasites that feed on honey. Before true pupation, insects go through a “false pupae” stage.
Fighting weevils: description and photos of pest beetles
The weevil beetle is a widespread pest that most severely damages early varieties of strawberries. An adult insect is a small beetle, 2-3 mm long, grayish-black in color with a long proboscis. In winter, insects sleep under the leaves in the soil, and in the spring, waking up, they begin to feed on young leaves, after which holes appear on the leaf plate.
The fight against weevils should begin in the spring: during the budding period, weevils lay eggs in flower buds, then damage the flower stalks. Dried buds fall off or remain hanging on the peduncles.
The white beetle larva with a yellow head eats the contents of the bud, after which it pupates there. One beetle can damage from 30 to 50 buds, laying one egg in each of them.
A new generation of beetles appears in June-July and feeds on leaves for some time, after which they go to winter under dry leaves.
Harm from a beetle
The damage caused by the goose beetle is not inferior in terms of damage to its competitor, the Colorado insect. The only difference between them is that the first specializes mainly in cereal crops, while Leptinotarsa decemlineata eats potato leaves.
The damage caused by the beetle is unimaginable, and damage to cereals is caused not only by adults, but also by larvae. Despite its short life cycle, one mature beetle is capable of eating up to 180 grains (or 10 spikelets). And if you imagine how many there are in total, then what will be the crop loss?! Moreover, the main danger lies not only in eating grains, but also in the fact that beetles are able to knock them off the ears to the ground. In this regard, the number 180 can increase to 400.
According to average expert estimates, the bread beetle is capable of destroying a crop of 1.1 hectares of winter cereal. Spring wheat may suffer even more – up to 2.3 hectares.
Stages of development
Beetles go through several stages of development:
- eggs;
- larvae;
- pupae;
- adult.
Egg maturation takes up to three weeks. At the same time, a large amount of moisture, as well as its lack, has a detrimental effect on the offspring. The hatched larvae are dazzlingly white, but as they mature, they darken. For greater clarity, the Kuzka beetle is shown below. The photo shows what it looks like in the larval phase.
The head of the adult larva becomes darker. They first shed their skin at the end of summer, and the following year they undergo two more molts.
The larvae live primarily in the ground, and the depth to which they dive depends on the degree of humidity and surrounding temperature conditions. In spring and autumn they lie at a depth of 1-5 cm, almost at the very surface, and are very easy to detect. But if there is a drought or frost, the larvae go deeper by 25-30 cm. In cold regions, they burrow even deeper for the winter - about 80 cm.
The source of food for small larvae are small roots or rotting plant debris that just fall into their hands. The diet of older larvae consists of plant roots. All bread beetle larvae that have successfully passed natural selection after living in the ground for two years begin to prepare for the next stage.
To transform into a pupa, the larva creates an oval shelter for itself at a depth of up to 15 cm. At this moment, they become especially vulnerable to light, as well as to changes in temperature and humidity.
The adult stage occurs after 2-3 weeks of pupal maturation. However, at first, young beetles still have soft elytra and the cover is not yet strong enough. The young individuals still spend several days in the ground until they are completely strong, and then they come to the surface. After which you can catch the kuzka beetle on the wheat while eating.
