beetles
Location: Namibia, Southern Africa
November 20, 2011 2:39 pm
Can you please identify these beetles. Images 1 & 2 were taken around 9a.m. on 13th April 2010. in the gardens of Nunda Lodge near Divundu, in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia. The beetles were very abundant and we saw them again when we returned in April 2011.
Signature: Roger Pinkney

Unknown Blister Beetles from Namibia

Hi Roger,
These colorful creatures are Blister Beetles in the family Meloidae.  The larvae often feed on Grasshopper Eggs or they parasitize the nests of Solitary Bees.  Adults feed on vegetation.  They have a complicated life cycle.  Blister Beetles get their common name because they exude a substance called cantharidin that can cause blistering of skin, so they should be handled with care.  We need to leave to get to Whole Foods to buy some cheese for Thanksgiving dinner, but we will try to find a species identification upon our return.

Blister Beetles

Update
While your individuals look very similar to this unidentified species from Namibia the distinctive red markings evident in your photo are absent.

Dear Daniel, Many thanks for another swift identification. Glad we didn’t touch these beetles. Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. Kind regards, Roger.

Hi Daniel and Roger:
Your Blister Beetles probably belong to the genus Mylabris (Meloidae: Meloinae). It’s a very large genus (apparently over 200 species) so as usual I can’t be certain, but it looks very much like M. tricolor. The species probably occurs throughout Southern Africa as I also found references to it from Angola and Botswana, as well as images from Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. None of these images look exactly the same as those in the submitted photos but all are very similar. Variability in appearance is quite common within insect species, particularly if the species has a wide distribution, so that may account for the small differences. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any additional information about the species. Regards.  Karl

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Ant queen?
Location: Michigan
November 10, 2011 11:00 pm
I found this in the woods and I thought it might be an ant queen. It’s a little over an inch long so I was able to spot it from a distance. Any ideas?
Signature: Weezie G.

Oil Beetle

Dear Weezie,
At this time of year, we typically get numerous requests like your request to identify Oil Beetles in the genus Meloe.  You are not the first person who has mistaken an Oil Beetle for a queen ant.

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what is this bug
Location: Southwest Virginia
October 27, 2011 3:50 pm
Every fall I see these things in my backyard. They gather together on a certain plant and I guess they eat it. Anyway it always dies where they were.
Signature: Connie

Oil Beetles

Dear Connie,
These are Oil Beetles, a group of Blister Beetles in the genus Meloe.  There are 12 similar looking species on BugGuide, and we don’t have the necessary skills to differentiate your species from the others.  Because of your location and the time of year, we believe the most likely species candidates based on data information on BugGuide are Meloe campanicollis and Meloe impressus. Oil Beetles have an interesting and complex life cycle that includes laying eggs that hatch into mobile larvae that attach themselves to solitary bees.  When the bee returns to the hive, the beetle enters with the bee and begins by feeding upon the egg of a bee as well as the food that has been provided to nourish the bee larva.  Here is the explanation on BugGuide:  “First-instar larvae climb to the top of a grass or weed stalk as a group, clump together in the shape of a female solitary ground bee, exude a scent that is the same as, or closely resembles, the pheromones of the female bee, and wait for a male ground bee to come along. When he does, he tries to mate with the clump of larvae, whereupon they individually clamp onto his hairs. He then flies away, finds and mates with one or several real female bees, and the larvae transfer to the female(s).  Each impregnated female bee then flies off and builds one to several nests in burrows she digs in the soil, and the larvae transfer again to the new nests. The female bee stocks these nests with honey and pollen for her own young, but the hungry blister beetle young are there to gobble up the provisions. They eventually pupate and finally emerge as adult flightless beetles. Brothers and sisters find each other and mate, produce eggs and the hatchlings start the process all over.”  BugGuide does not provide much information on the food plants for the various species.  Have you been able to identify the plant that your beetles are feeding upon?  Is it something that you cultivate in your garden or is it a native plant?  The Backyard Arthropod Project has a nice set of photos and some interesting observations.

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Ground beetle?
Location: Northern Central NJ
October 11, 2011 2:38 pm
I saw this guy running in the grass and managed to shoot him twice … with my camera, of course. He (she?) is fairly large, perhaps a good inch long. I tried researching it but I’m not seeing any black long beetles with the knobby bent antennae. It seems to be some sort of ground beetle, but …?
Signature: Jackie

Ground beetle? NOT!
Location: Northern Central NJ
October 11, 2011 7:18 pm
In searching around, I found the identification of the beetle whose two photos I sent in earlier today. It’s not a ground beetle. It’s a black blister beetle. Thank you for running this site! It’s a treasure trove of bugs!
Signature: Jackie

Oil Beetle

Dear Jackie,
Since our editorial staff is gainfully employed, we generally respond to questions early in the morning prior to heading off to work.  We are happy to learn that you self identified your Oil Beetle or Black Blister Beetle on our site.  Thanks for the compliment.