Head to head
Oil Beetle vs Blister Beetle
Oil Beetle
VS Blister Beetle
The oil beetle is one member of the blister beetle family, and both names refer to the same blistering chemical, cantharidin, that these beetles use for defence.
| Oil Beetle | Blister Beetle | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Meloe proscarabaeus | Meloidae (the blister beetle family) |
| Relationship | One species in the blister beetle family | The family that includes the oil beetles |
| Body | A soft, heavy-bodied, blue-black beetle up to about 3 cm long, with short wing cases that leave much of the abdomen exposed | A relatively soft, elongated body compared with many heavily armoured beetles |
| Flight | Cannot fly, and moves by walking | Many species can fly, particularly in warm, open habitats |
| Defence | Oozes drops of oily, orange fluid from its leg joints containing cantharidin when disturbed | Produces cantharidin, a chemical potent enough to raise painful blisters on human skin on contact |
| Larvae | Tiny larvae climb onto flowers and cling to solitary bees, which carry them to the nest, where they eat the bee's egg and stored food | A complex, multi-stage larval development, with the larvae of many species feeding on grasshopper eggs or the nest provisions of ground-nesting bees |
| Risk to animals | Its oily fluid contains cantharidin, which blisters skin on contact | Can poison horses when beetles are accidentally baled into hay and eaten, since cantharidin remains toxic |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated, but declining with the loss of flower-rich grassland and solitary bees | Least Concern as a group, native to grassland and agricultural habitat across North America |
Oil Beetle vs Blister Beetle: common questions
Is an oil beetle a blister beetle?
Yes, oil beetles are members of the blister beetle family, and both groups produce cantharidin, a chemical that blisters skin.
How do oil beetle larvae reach food?
They climb onto flowers, cling to a visiting solitary bee, and are carried to its nest, where they eat the bee's egg and its stored pollen and nectar.
Why can blister beetles harm horses?
Beetles accidentally baled into hay can be eaten by horses, and cantharidin remains toxic in dried hay.