A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Mylabris cf. maculosopunctata
Blister beetles are so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. There are approximately 7,500 known species worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators. The elitra are red and have each black spots and a black band in the abdomen.They fly between June and October. Like many coleoptera they have a very complex biological cycle. As larvae the feed on grasshopper eggs and larvae. These coleoptera are very common in Mediterranean countries and they prefer sunny places with many flowers because they feed on pollen.
Spotted at a Holm oak and pine tree forest. Dehesa de Valdelatas
Camera Model: NIKON D500. Exposure Time: 1/400 sec.; f/11; ISO Speed Rating: 635. Exposure Bias: 0 EV. Focal Length: 90.0 mm. No flash fired. DSC_3911
Spotted on May 30, 2019
Submitted on Oct 3, 2019
No Comments