The Nature LibraryEN·ES
iNat·853363subgenusInsecta1,745 field observations
  1. Animals
  2. ›Arthropods
  3. ›Hexapods
  4. ›Insects
  5. ›Winged and Once-winged Insects
  6. ›Beetles
  7. ›Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles
  8. ›Cucujiform Beetles
  9. ›Darkling Beetles and Allies
  10. ›Blister Beetles
  11. ›Meloinae
  12. ›Meloini
  13. ›Meloe
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Treiodous

Meloe is a genus of blister beetles commonly referred to as oil beetles. 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...

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6 branches of this group, most-observed first

Meloe laevis

speciesMeloe laevis

Meloe autumnalis

speciesMeloe autumnalis

Meloe gracilicornis

speciesMeloe gracilicornis

Meloe afer

speciesMeloe afer

Meloe barbarus

speciesMeloe barbarus

Meloe ajax

speciesMeloe ajax

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Where it lives

Recorded sightings

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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.

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Every page naming Treiodous in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →

This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 853363.