Meloe

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Meloe is a genus of blister beetles commonly referred to as oil beetles.[1] The name derives from their defensive strategy: when threatened they release oily droplets of hemolymph from their joints (legs, neck, and antennae). This fluid is bright orange and contains cantharidin, a poisonous chemical compound. Wiping the chemical on skin can cause blistering and painful swelling of the skin. This defensive strategy is not exclusive to this genus; all meloids possess and exude cantharidin upon threat.

Morphology

Oil beetle adult
Oil beetle adult dorsal view

Members of this genus typically have shortened elytra and lack functional wings. They are often iridescent blue, green, or black with pits/punctures on the elytra and thorax, and a bloated abdomen. Some species of males have kinks in their antennae, which are shaped differently for different species.

Biology

As with all other members of Meloidae, the larval cycle is hypermetamorphic; the larva goes through several body types, the first of which is typically a mobile triungulin that finds and attaches to a host in order to gain access to the host's offspring. They usually climb onto a flower head, and await a bee there. They will then attach themselves to the bee. If it is a male, they wait for mating with a female. They will switch to the female when this takes place. If the bee is a female, however, she will take them back to her nest unwittingly. Once in the nest, the larvae morphs into a grub-like "couch potato" and feeds upon all of the provisions and the larva. Next, they form a pupa and emerge in various seasons depending on the species. Each species of Meloe may attack only a single species or genus of bees. Some are generalists. Though sometimes considered parasitoids, it appears that in general, the Meloe larva consumes the bee larva along with its provisions, and can often survive on the provisions alone; thus they do not truly qualify for this designation (see Parasitoid for definition).

Upon surfacing from their underground lives as larvae, the adults feed on plants in the Ranunculaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Solanaceae families.

Mating begins when a male mounts a female and releases chemical components through the kinks on the antennae, massaging her antennae and pulling them back. This serves to calm the female. Mating then occurs, with the male transferring his cantharidin to the female during this period and she coats her eggs with it. [2]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Meloe:[3][4]

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  • Meloe aegyptius Brandt & Erichson, 1832Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe aeneus Tauscher, 1812Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe afer Bland, 1864Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe affinis Lucas, 1849Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe ajax Pinto, 1998Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe aleuticus (Borchmann, 1942)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe algiricus Linnæus, 1758Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe americanus Leach, 1815Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe angusticollis Say, 1824Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – short-winged blister beetle
  • Meloe apenninicus Bologna, 1988Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe auriculatus
  • Meloe austrinus Wollaston, 1854Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe autumnalis Olivier, 1792Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe baamarani Ruiz & García-París, 2015Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe balteata Pallas, 1782Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe barbarus LeConte, 1861Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe baudii Leoni, 1907Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe bicolor Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe bitoricollis Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe brevicollis Panzer, 1793Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – short-necked oil beetle
  • Meloe californicus Van Dyke, 1928Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe campanicollis Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe cantharoides Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe carbonaceus LeConte, 1866Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe cavensis Petagna, 1819Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe chiliensis Guérin, 1831Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe chinensis Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe cicatricosus Leach, 1815Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe cinnabarina Scopoli, 1763Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe coarctatus
  • Meloe coecus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe coelatus Reiche, 1857Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe corvinus
  • Meloe decemguttatus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe decorus Brandt & Erichson, 1832Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe dianella Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe distincticornis Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe dominicanus Poinar, 2009Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe dugesi Champion, 1891Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe erythrocnemus Pallas, 1782Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe exiguus Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe fenestrata Pallas, 1773Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe fernandezi Pardo Alcaide, 1951Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe flavicomus Wollaston, 1854Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe formosensis Miwa, 1930Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe foveolatus Guerin de Meneville, 1842Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe franciscanus Van Dyke, 1928Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe glazunovi Plignskij, 1910Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe gomari
  • Meloe gracilicornis Champion, 1891Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe himalayensis Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe hirsutus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe hungarus Schrank, 1776Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe ibericus
  • Meloe impressus Kirby, 1837Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe kashmirensis Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe kaszabi Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe laevis Leach, 1815Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – oil beetle
  • Meloe lateantennatus Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe luctuosus Brandt & Erichson, 1832Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe lunata Pallas, 1782Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe mediterraneus Müller, 1925Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". - mediterranean oil beetle
  • Meloe menoko
  • Meloe nanus Lucas, 1849Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe nebulosus Champion, 1891Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe niger Kirby, 1837Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe occultus Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe ocellata Pallas, 1773Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe oculatus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe olivieri Chevrolat, 1833Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe orientalis Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe paropacus Dillon, 1952Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe podalirii Heer, 1847Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe poggii Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe proscarabaeus Linnaeus, 1758 - black oil beetle
  • Meloe quadricollis Van Dyke, 1928Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe reitteri Escherich, 1889Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe rufiventris Germar, 1832Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe rugosus Marsham, 1802Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". - rugged oil beetle
  • Meloe sarmaticus Shapovalov, 2012Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe semenowi Jakovlev, 1897,2017Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe shapovalovi Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloe sibirica Pallas, 1773Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe spec Linnæus, 1758Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe strigulosus Mannerheim, 1852Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe trifascis Pallas, 1773Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe tripunctatus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe tropicus Motschulsky, 1856Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe tuccius Rossi, 1792Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe uralensis Pallas, 1777Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe ursus Thunberg, 1791Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe vandykei Pinto & Selander, 1970Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe variegatus Donovan, 1793Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloe violaceus Marsham, 1802Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". - violet oil beetle
  • Meloe xuhaoi Pan & Bologna, 2021
  • Meloë fasciatus HouttuynScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Meloë flammeus HouttuynScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

References

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  1. ↑ Oil Beetles (Meloe), BugGuide
  2. ↑ Pinto, J.D., Selander, R.B. The bionmics of blister beetles in the genus Meloe and a classification of the New World species. Illinois Biological Monographs. 1970.
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Taxonbar

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