Size
adult length about 7 mm, based on Tom Murray's specimen
Identification
completely black except for dark red pronotum (which has an oblong black patch along posterior margin); the only other body parts that aren't black are the tarsal claws, which look brownish in
Tom Murray's photoRange
eastern United States, plus Ontario; Donald Chandler comments
here on the recent appearance and collection of this species in New Hampshire and Maine, apparently representing a northward range extension.
Habitat
fields, meadows, waste places
Food
adults feed particularly on flowerparts of Rudbeckia species (such as R. hirta - Black-eyed Susan), plus beggar-ticks (Bidens spp.), fleabane (Erigeron spp.), and goldenaster (Heterotheca spp.)
larvae feed on eggs, larvae, and food reserves of ground-nesting bees
Life Cycle
eggs are laid on flowers; first instar larvae (called triungulins) attach themselves to bees visiting flowers and are then transported to the bee's nest where they drop off
Internet References
food plants ("Featured Creatures", U. of Florida)
presence in Florida; PDF doc and other info on Florida blister beetles (U. of Florida)
presence in North Carolina 23 pinned specimens in collection, including locally collected specimens (North Carolina State U.)
distribution in United States (Michael Thomas, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
distribution in Canada; PDF doc plus general info on blister beetles (Meloidae; in Checklist of Beetles of Canada and Alaska)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 15 January, 2006 - 7:24pm
Last updated 17 August, 2006 - 6:52pm
