What is this thing?
Location: Bishop, California
December 11, 2010 8:06 pm
I saw a group of these on a small weed just south of Bishop California in eastern California on Route 395. I haven’t been able to identify it through any books or online resources that I’ve found.
Signature: Donald
Iron Cross Blister Beetle
Dear Donald,
This unusual beetle is an Iron Cross Blister Beetle in the genus Tegrodera. Many years ago when we received our first image of one of these incredibly colored beetles, we were awe struck by its beauty. That initial impression has never faded. Blister Beetles should be handled with care as they exude a compound known as cantharidin that causes blistering of the skin. Blister Beetles have very complex life cycles and you can read about them in our archive and on BugGuide.
Iron Cross Blister Beetle
¶ Posted 11 December 2010 § ‡ ° wondering what this bug is
Location: 31deg54’42.99”N, 106deg27’20.90”W
November 29, 2010 12:05 pm
One of my favorite photos. Took this in Aug. 2006 just after a record rain and flood in the desert off the Franklin Mountains in El Paso, TX. The abdomen of what appears to be a type of ant was roughly 1/2” long.
I’ve always wondered if the heavy and unusual amount of rain affected this bug’s normal appearance.
Signature: Christopher Licking
Desert Spider Beetle
Hi Christoper,
This is a Desert Spider Beetle in the genus Cysteodemus. Some members of this genus are known as Inflated Beetles because of the air filled abdomen. Your beetle is the Black Bladder-Bodied Meloid, Cysteodemus wislizeni, which you may read about on BugGuide. Rain frequently triggers activity in desert dwelling insects.
¶ Posted 29 November 2010 § ‡ ° Large black beetle?
Location: East-Central New Jersey
November 17, 2010 9:47 am
Found this while gardening. It’s about an inch and 1/2 long. My hand is included for scale. Looks like a cross between a large ant and a wasp. Couldn’t find it in my Mid-Atlantic field guide — what is it?
Signature: Jennifer
Oil Beetle
Hi Jennifer,
The large, black, flightless Blister Beetles in the genus Meloe are known as Oil Beetles because they are able to secrete a substance known as hemolymph. The hemolymph is somewhat oily and it contains a compound known as cantharidin which can cause blistering of skin. You should avoid handling Oil Beetle as well as other Blister Beetles in the family Meloidae.
¶ Posted 18 November 2010 § ‡ ° What is this!?
Location: Southern New Jersey
November 2, 2010 6:50 pm
These bugs seem to have come out of an oak tree we’ve had chopped down. Between an inch to two inches long, 6 legs, large abdomen. What are they and What should we do about them?
Signature: Shannah
Oil Beetle
Hi Shannah,
This is an Oil Beetle and you should let them live.
¶ Posted 03 November 2010 § ‡ ° What is this bug?
Subject: What is this bug?
Location: Fort Bliss, Texas
October 30, 2010 8:07 am
Found crawling on my brothers leg at fort bliss in Texas….
Signature: Jessica
Blister Beetle
Hi Jessica,
This is a Blister Beetle in the genus Megetra, a group that is “Restricted to Chihuahuan Desert of the USA (TX, NM, and extreme southeastern AZ) and Mexico (where most of this desert region is located)” according to BugGuide. You were wise to handle this Blister Beetle with gloves because the family is capable of exuding hemolymph that contains cantharidin, a chemical compound that can cause blistering of the skin.
¶ Posted 30 October 2010 § ‡ ° beautiful beetle
Location: Hi-Desert, north of Palm Springs
October 24, 2010 11:37 am
Hello bugman,
I don’t know if this little guy is actually a beetle, but he sure is pretty. Can you please tell me what kind of insect it is?
Thank you!
Signature: Michele Zafico
Charlie Brown Blister Beetle
Hi Michele,
Your lovely beetle is a Blister Beetle in the genus Pyrota, and BugGuide includes several species that look quite similar to your specimen. It really resembles the Charlie Brown Blister Beetle, Pyrota palpalis, but BugGuide does not report any sightings from California, only Arizona and New Mexico. While the exact species may remain questionable, we are confident with the genus identification, and we love the common name Charlie Brown Blister Beetle.
¶ Posted 24 October 2010 § ‡ ° What’s this bug?
Location: Western North Dakota
August 5, 2010 6:28 pm
This bug was found in western North Dakota on some leaves. I think it’s a beetle, but don’t know for sure.
Jason
Mating Nuttall's Blister Beetles
Hi Jason,
These are mating Blister Beetles, and based on images posted to BugGuide, they appear to be Nuttall’s Blister Beetles, Lytta nuttalli.
¶ Posted 05 August 2010 § ‡ ° Tagged: bug love Desert Spider Beetle or Black Bladder-Bodied Meloid
June 20, 2010
I found some of these beetles in my garden and looked them up to see what they were. They are very pretty, however, I really need to know if they are going to do any damage to either my house our my plants. Thank you for your information.
Living in New Mexico
Central New Mexico
Desert Spider Beetle
Dear Denizen of New Mexico,
Your identification is correct. this is a Desert Spider Beetle or Black Bladder Bodied Meloid, Cysteodemus wislizeni, which is profiled on BugGuide. Adult Blister Beetles feed on plants, but we don’t know the preferred plant that this species prefers to feed upon. The Sam Wells Entomology page does not indicate the food preferences. We believe they probably feed on some desert annual species. They will not harm your home. Blister Beetles, of which the Desert Spider Beetle is one, are capable of causing a skin reaction if they are carelessly handled.
¶ Posted 23 June 2010 § ‡ ° 
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