''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family

Cantharidae The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One of the first described species has a color pattern reminiscent of the red coats of early British soldiers, hence the ...

with narrow and soft

elytra An elytron (; ; , ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs ( Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometimes altern ...

. The poisonous

Spanish fly The Spanish fly (''Lytta vesicatoria'') 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 preparation ...

is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also sometimes called "cantharis" in the

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

, but it is actually unrelated to ''Cantharis'' and is not a member of the

at all. It was classified there erroneously until

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoology, zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, an ...

corrected its name in his ''Systema entomologiae'' in 1775. He reclassified the Spanish fly in the new genus '' Lytta'' as ''Lytta vesicatoria''. It belongs to the family

Meloidae Blister beetles are beetles of the 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 aposematically colored, announcing their ...

.Selander, R. B. (1991)
On the nomenclature and classification of Meloidae (Coleoptera)
''

Insecta Mundi ''Insecta Mundi: A Journal of World Insect Systematics'' is an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal of entomology, primarily devoted to insects, specifically "any non-marine arthropod". It is published by the Center for Systematic Entomolo ...

'' 5(2): 65-94.

European species

Subgenus ''Cantharis''

Cantharis livida var rufipes 01 05252009

* '' Cantharis allosensis'' Pic, 1924 * ''

Cantharis annularis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Menetriez, 1836 * ''

Cantharis antennalis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Marseul, 1864) * '' Cantharis ariasi'' (Mulsant, 1862) * '' Cantharis assimilis'' Paykull, 1798 * ''

Cantharis atrata ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also sometime ...

'' (Marseul, 1864) * ''

Cantharis basithorax ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Pic, 1902 * ''

Cantharis beckeri ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Pic, 1902) * ''

Cantharis brevicornis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Kiesenwetter, 1852) * ''

Cantharis brullei ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Marseul, 1864) * ''

Cantharis cedricola ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Wittmer, 1971 * ''

Cantharis cornix ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Abeille de Perrin, 1869) * ''

Cantharis coronata ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Gyllenhal, 1808 * '' Cantharis corvina'' Moscardini, 1962 * '' Cantharis cretica'' Wittmer, 1971 * ''

Cantharis cryptica ''Cantharis cryptica'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H. ...

'' Ashe, 1947 * '' Cantharis cypria'' (Marseul, 1864) * '' Cantharis darwiniana'' Sharp, 1867 * ''

Cantharis decipiens ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Baudi, 1871 * ''

Cantharis decolorans ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Brullé, 1832 * ''

Cantharis delagrangei ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Delkeskamp, 1939 * '' Cantharis dissipata'' Gemminger, 1870 * ''

Cantharis edentula ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Baudi, 1871 * ''

Cantharis ephippigera ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Brullé, 1832) * ''

Cantharis europea ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Pic 1921 * ''

Cantharis falzonii ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also sometime ...

'' Fiori 1914 * ''

Cantharis figurata ''Cantharis figurata'' is a species of Cantharidae, soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' References

Cantharidae Beetles described in 1843 Beetles of Europe Taxa named by Carl ...

'' Mannerheim, 1843 * ''

Cantharis flavilabris ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Fallén, 1807 * ''

Cantharis franciana ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Kiesenwetter, 1866 * ''

Cantharis fusca ''Cantharis fusca'' is a species of soldier beetle. ''C. fusca'' reaches a length of . Except for parts of the head and thorax, which are red or orange, this species is completely black. The body is flat and long, with a weak exoskeleton An ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoological ...

- type species * ''

Cantharis fuscipennis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Mulsant, 1862) * ''

Cantharis hellenica ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Heyden, 1883 * ''

Cantharis ictaria ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Fiori, 1914 * ''

Cantharis inculta ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Gene, 1839 * ''

Cantharis instabilis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Kiesenwetter, 1866 * ''

Cantharis italica ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Fiori, 1914 * ''

Cantharis kervillei ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Pic, 1932 * ''

Cantharis liburnica ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Depoli, 1912 * '' Cantharis livida''

* ''

Cantharis merula ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Moscardini, 1862 * ''

Cantharis monacha ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Moscardini, 1862 * ''

Cantharis montana ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Stierlin, 1889 * ''

Cantharis morio ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Fabricius, 1792 * ''

Cantharis nevadensis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Pic, 1908 * ''

Cantharis nigra ''Cantharis nigra'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H. Jo ...

'' (De Geer, 1774) * ''

Cantharis nigricans ''Cantharis nigricans'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H ...

'' Müller, 1766 * ''

Cantharis nigricornis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840) * ''

Cantharis obscura ''Cantharis obscura'' is a species of beetle belonging to the family Cantharidae Description ''C. obscura'' reaches a length of . Elytra and head are black. Pronotum is black, with reddish or orange lateral margins. The adults feed on small in ...

* ''

Cantharis ochreata ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Reiche, 1878) * ''

Cantharis paganettii ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Flach, 1907) * '' Cantharis palliata'' Gyllenhal, 1808 * ''

Cantharis pallida ''Cantharis pallida'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H. ...

'' Goeze, 1777 * '' Cantharis paludosa'' Fallén, 1807 * ''

Cantharis paradoxa ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Hicker, 1960 * ''

Cantharis paulinoi ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Kiesenwetter, 1870 * ''

Cantharis pellucida ''Cantharis pellucida'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H ...

'' Fabricius, 1792 * ''

Cantharis peninsularis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Fiori, 1914 * '' Cantharis praecox'' Gene, 1836 * ''

Cantharis prusiensis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Marseul, 1864) * ''

Cantharis pulicaria ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Fabricius, 1781 * '' Cantharis pyrenaea'' Pic, 1906 * ''

Cantharis quadripunctata ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' (Müller, 1776) * ''

Cantharis reichei ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Mulsant, 1862 * ''

Cantharis rufa ''Cantharis rufa'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 '' A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' References Cantharidae Beetles described in 1758 Beetles of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus ...

* ''

Cantharis rustica ''Cantharis rustica'' is a species of soldier beetle found in Europe east to central Russia.Traugott, M. (2006). Habitat use and activity patterns of larval and adult ''Cantharis'' beetles in arable land. European journal of soil biology, 42(2), ...

'' Fallén, 1807 * ''

Cantharis schrammi ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Pic, 1907 * ''

Cantharis seidlitzi ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Kiesenwetter, 1865 * ''

Cantharis sicula ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Pic, 1906 * ''

Cantharis smyrnensis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' (Marseul, 1864) * ''

Cantharis terminata ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also sometime ...

'' Faldermann, 1835 * '' Cantharis torretasoi'' Wittmer, 1935 * ''

Cantharis tristis ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Fabricius, 1797 * '' Cantharis versicolor'' (Baudi, 1871) * ''

Cantharis xanthoporpa ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Kiesenwetter, 1860

Subgenus ''Cyrtomoptila''

* ''

Cantharis gemina ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also somet ...

'' Dahlgren, 1974 * ''

Cantharis lateralis ''Cantharis lateralis'' is a species of soldier beetles native to Europe.Norman H. Joy, , 1932 ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles ''A Practical Handbook of British Beetles'' is a two-volume work on the British beetle fauna, by Norman H ...

* ''

Cantharis pagana ''Cantharis'' is a large genus of soldier beetles in the family Cantharidae with narrow and soft elytra. The poisonous Spanish fly is superficially similar and is associated with the scientific name ''Cantharis vesicatoria''. It is also someti ...

'' Rosenhauer, 1847

References and notes

External links

Biolib

Fauna europaea
Cantharidae {{Cantharidae-stub

European species

Subgenus ''Cantharis''

Subgenus ''Cyrtomoptila''

See also

References and notes

Further reading

External links