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Blister Beetle
Blister beetles are beetles of the family (biology), family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematism, aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators. Description Blister beetles are hypermetamorphic, going through several larval stages, the first of which is typically a mobile triungulin. The larvae are insectivorous, mainly attacking bees, though a few feed on grasshopper eggs. While sometimes considered parasitoids, in general, the meloid larva apparently consumes the immature host along with its provisions, and can often survive on the provisions alone; thus it is not an obligatory parasitoid, but rather a facultative parasitoid, or simply a kleptoparasite. The adults sometimes feed on flowers and leaves of plants of such diverse families as the Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae. Cantharidin, a poisono ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hycleus Lugens
''Hycleus'' is a genus of blister beetle belonging to the Meloidae family found in Africa and Asia. The genus contains over 400 species, which historically have been confused with the genus ''Mylabris''. Ecology Adults feed mainly on flowers from a wide range of plant families. The first larval instar is an active triungulin form that is a predator of soft insects such as aphids. While the young are often beneficial to crops by suppressing other plant feeders, the adults can be a problem when present in large numbers. Flower feeding leads to lower yield and this can be a problem in some leguminous crops. They are however easily controlled by manual collection. In northern Nigeria, heavy infestations of ''Hycleus terminatus'', ''Hycleus fimbriatus'', ''Hycleus hermanniae'', and ''Hycleus chevrolati'' have affected early plantings of pearl millet crops. Gallery File:Mylabris pustulata.JPG, Seen in Karnataka File:Orange_Blister_Beetle_(Mylabris_pustulata)_on_Ipomoea_carnea_W2_IMG_ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were amphibians. When they evolved 400 million years ago, the first amphibians were piscivores, with numerous sharp conical teeth, much like a modern crocodile. The same tooth arrangement is however also suited for eating animals with exoskeletons, thus the ability to eat insects can stem from piscivory. At one time, insectivorous mammals were scientifically classified in an order called Insectivora. This order is now abandoned, as not all insectivorous mammals are closely related. Most of the Insectivora taxa have been reclassified; those that have not yet been reclassified and found to be truly related to each other remain in the order Eulipotyphla. Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers. Insects make up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alfalfa
Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop. The name alfalfa is used in North America. The name lucerne is more commonly used in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The plant superficially resembles clover (a cousin in the same family), especially while young, when glossary of leaf morphology#trifoliate, trifoliate leaves comprising round leaflet (botany), leaflets predominate. Later in maturity, leaflets are elongated. It has raceme, clusters of small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in two to three turns containing 10–20 seeds. Alfalfa is native to warmer temperate climates. It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks and Ancient R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epicauta
''Epicauta'' is a genus of beetles in the blister beetle family, Meloidae. The genus was first scientifically described in 1834 by Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean. ''Epicauta'' is distributed nearly worldwide, with species native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica.Kerr, J. T. and L. Packer. (1999)The environmental basis of North American species richness patterns among ''Epicauta'' (Coleoptera: Meloidae). ''Biodiversity & Conservation'' 8(5), 617-28. Surveys have found the genus to be particularly diverse in northern Arizona in the United States. Few species occur in the Arctic, with none farther north than the southern edge of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Adult beetles feed on plants. The larvae are predators on the eggs of grasshoppers. The beetles can significantly damage plants, and many ''Epicauta'' are known as agricultural pests around the world, even known to cause crop failures at times. As do other blister beetles, these produce cantharidin, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lytta Vesicatoria
''Lytta vesicatoria'', also known as the Spanish fly, is an aposematic emerald-green beetle in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It is distributed across Eurasia. The species and others in its family were used in traditional apothecary preparations as "Cantharides". The insect is the source of the terpenoid cantharidin, a toxic blistering agent once used as an exfoliating agent, anti-rheumatic drug and an aphrodisiac. The substance has also found culinary use in some blends of the North African spice mix '' ras el hanout''. Its various supposed benefits have been responsible for accidental poisonings. Etymology and taxonomy The generic name is from the Greek λύττα (''lytta''), meaning martial rage, raging madness, Bacchic frenzy, or rabies. The specific name is derived from Latin ''vesica'', blister. ''Lytta vesicatoria'' was formerly named ''Cantharis vesicatoria'', although the genus '' Cantharis'' is in an unrelated family, Cantharidae, the soldier beetles. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lytta
'' Lytta vesicatoria'', the Spanish fly ''Lytta'' is a genus of blister beetles in the family Meloidae. There are about 70 described species in North America, and over 100 species worldwide. Selected species These species, and others, belong to the genus ''Lytta'': * '' Lytta aenea'' Say, 1824 * '' Lytta aeneipennis'' (LeConte, 1851) * '' Lytta agrestis'' (Fall, 1901) * '' Lytta arizonica'' Selander, 1957 * '' Lytta augusti'' Haag-Rutenberg, 1880 * '' Lytta auriculata'' Horn, 1870 (red-eared blister beetle) * '' Lytta battonii'' Kaszab, 1962 * '' Lytta biguttata'' LeConte, 1853 * '' Lytta bipuncticollis'' Haag-Rutenberg, 1880 * '' Lytta blaisdelli'' (Fall, 1909) * '' Lytta boleti'' Marsham, 1802 * '' Lytta bruchi'' Pic, 1927 * '' Lytta canelas'' Selander, 1960 * '' Lytta cardinalis'' Chevrolat, 1834 * '' Lytta childi'' LeConte, 1857 * '' Lytta chloris'' (Fall, 1901) * '' Lytta comans'' Selander, 1960 * '' Lytta corallifera'' Haag-Rutenberg, 1880 * '' Lytta cribrata'' LeConte, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mylabris
''Mylabris'' is a genus of beetles in the family Meloidae. It is endemic to the Palearctic realm. The species-rich genus ''Hycleus'' (c. 430 spp.) was historically confused with ''Mylabris'' and have their greatest diversity in the Afrotropics. Species * '' Mylabris abdelkaderi'' (Escalera, 1909) * '' Mylabris afghanica'' Kaszab, 1953 * '' Mylabris ajantaensis'' Saha, 1979 * '' Mylabris alicae'' Pic, 1909 * '' Mylabris allousei'' (Kaszab, 1960) * '' Mylabris alpina'' Ménétriés, 1832 * '' Mylabris alterna'' Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 * '' Mylabris alternata'' Harold, 1870 * '' Mylabris amoenula'' Ménétriés, 1849 * '' Mylabris amori'' Graells, 1858 * ''Mylabris andongoana'' Harold, 1879 * ''Mylabris andrei'' Pic, 1911 * '' Mylabris andresi'' (Pic, 1911) * '' Mylabris angustissima'' Pic, 1909 * ''Mylabris aperta'' Gerstaecker, 1873 * ''Mylabris apicefasciata'' Sumakov, 1929 * ''Mylabris apicenigra'' Sumakov, 1915 * ''Mylabris arctefasciata'' Pic, 1907 * ''Mylabris argyrostict ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blister Beetle Chase
A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid, either serum or plasma. However, blisters can be filled with blood (known as "blood blisters") or with pus (for instance, if they become infected). Smaller blisters are called ''blebs''. The word "blister" entered English in the 14th century. It came from the Middle Dutch and was a modification of the Old French , which meant a leprous nodule—a rise in the skin due to leprosy. In dermatology, the words cutaneous condition#Vesicle, ''vesicle'' and ''bulla'' refer to blisters of smaller or greater size, respectively. Some sources recommend not to pop a blister. If popped, bacteria can enter. Excess skin should not necessarily be removed as the top layer protects the soft tissue underneath. However, some sources al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solanaceae
Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many members of the family have high alkaloid contents, making some highly toxic, but many—such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers—are commonly used in food. Originating in South America, Solanaceae now inhabits every continent on Earth except Antarctica. After the K—Pg extinction event they rapidly diversified and have adapted to live in deserts, tundras, rainforests, plains, and highlands, and taken on wide range of forms including trees, vines, shrubs, and epiphytes. Nearly 80% of all nightshades are included in the subfamily Solanoideae, most of which are members of the type genus ''Solanum''. Most taxonomists recognize six other subfamilies: Cestroideae, Goetzeoideae, Nicotianoideae, Petunioideae, Schizanthoideae, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fabaceae
Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Article 18.5 states: "The following names, of long usage, are treated as validly published: ....Leguminosae (nom. alt.: Fabaceae; type: Faba Mill. Vicia L.; ... When the Papilionaceae are regarded as a family distinct from the remainder of the Leguminosae, the name Papilionaceae is conserved against Leguminosae." English pronunciations are as follows: , and . commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and agriculturally important family of |
Asteraceae
Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger family is unclear as the quantity of Extant taxon, extant species in each family is unknown. The Asteraceae were first described in the year 1740 and given the original name Composita, Compositae. The family is commonly known as the aster, Daisy (flower), daisy, composite, or sunflower family. Most species of Asteraceae are herbaceous plants, and may be Annual plant, annual, Biennial plant, biennial, or Perennial plant, perennial, but there are also shrubs, vines, and trees. The family has a widespread distribution, from subpolar to tropical regions, in a wide variety of habitats. Most occur in Hot desert climate, hot desert and cold or hot Semi-arid climate, semi-desert climates, and they are found on ever ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae ( ) is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it the most species-rich lineage within its parent order, Caryophyllales. Description Most species in the Amaranthaceae are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs; others are shrubs; very few species are vines or trees. Some species are succulent. Many species have stems with thickened nodes. The wood of the perennial stem has a typical "anomalous" secondary growth; only in subfamily Polycnemoideae is secondary growth normal. The leaves are simple and mostly alternate, sometimes opposite. They never possess stipules. They are flat or terete, and their shape is extremely variable, with entire or toothed margins. In some species, the leaves are reduced to minute scales. In most cases, neither basal nor terminal aggregations of leav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
