A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Epicauta pennsylvanica
About 17mm body length. Glossy black without any markings. Head is wider than protonum and 'neck' is quite narrow.
Found in 'El Cimatario', a national park in semi-arid area just outside the city. The rainy season is now in full swing and many animals are venturing out.
Blister Beetles are able to produce a very potent poisonous chemical called cantharidin. This chemical causes blistering of the skin, hence the name, and can lead to death if ingested. Apparently, there have been cases in which horses consumed amounts of crushed Epicauta among baled hay, which turned out to be fatal.
Spotted on Aug 6, 2017
Submitted on Aug 16, 2017
No Comments