Blister Beetle

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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NikonUser
Posts: 2693
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Blister Beetle

Post by NikonUser »

On June 5 2011 I posted an image of this species, incorrectly identified as Lytta aenea
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... ter+beetle

Today, May 24 2017, I saw this one, Lytta sayi, feeding on the flower buds of a cherry (Prunus sp.).
These beetles are very dangerous to handle as they can exude blood, containing cantharidin, through their leg joints; a process called reflex bleeding.
Lots of information on cantharidin in Wikipedia, the least of which is causing skin blisters. In the USA it is classified as an "extremely hazardous substance"
Nikon 200mm AF Micro-Nikkor + 5T close-up attachment, f/22, flash
Image
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.

Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives

MarkSturtevant
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

And its so pretty!
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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