Berberomeloe

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Berberomeloe
Berberomeloe majalis up.JPG
The red-striped oil beetle, Berberomeloe majalis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Meloidae
Tribe: Lyttini
Genus: Berberomeloe
M. A. Bologna, 1989
Species

Berberomeloe castuo
Berberomeloe insignis
Berberomeloe majalis

Contents

Berberomeloe is a genus within the tribe Lyttini of the family Meloidae, the oil or blister beetles. It includes two species, the red-striped oil beetle, Berberomeloe majalis , and the less flamboyant Berberomeloe insignis .

Taxonomy

Until recently these species were included in the genus Meloe , which is treated in the tribe Meloini; the placement of what was previously called Meloe majalis instead in a genus within the tribe Lyttini was proposed by Bologna (1988) [1] and has commanded general acceptance. As Bologna notes, it had long been known that the larval development of the red-stripted oil beetle was very different from that of most species placed in Meloe, so that some authors treated it within the Lyttini genus Trichomeloe . However the species does not fit into any other genus of Lyttini, having a unique combination of autapomorphic characters, namely reduced elytra, no wings and modified antennae, so Bologna proposed the new genus. Bologna envisaged that other species currently placed in Meloe might be found to be anomalous once their larval development was studied in full. However, the addition of a second species to Berbermeloe came by a different route: García-Paris (1998). [2] revived the name insignis, which had been thought to be merely a synonym for majalis, to describe a rare, distinct population endemic to the Spanish provinces of Granada, Almería and Murcia. Individuals of this type differed from typical B. majalis in several anatomical characteristics, and hence García-Paris argued that they should be given species status and should also be placed in Berberomeloe.

Distribution

The genus Berberomeloe is endemic to the Western Mediterranean, specifically the Iberian Peninsula, France, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Description

The coloration in the species Berberomeloe majalis (Linnaeus, 1758) is characterized by the presence of bright blood-red or orange transverse stripes across a solid black swollen abdomen (the length of this beetle may reach up to 9 centimetres (3.5 in)). However, B. majalis varies extensively in colour. Populations of entirely black specimens without any red markings are found scattered over much of the distribution range of B. majalis. These populations are often found close to populations consisting of red-striped specimens, but both morphs seem to be spatially segregated and no mixed series have been found in the field. [2] Entirely black and red-striped specimens of Berberomeloes majalis are equally poisonous. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantharidin</span> Chemical compound

Cantharidin is an odorless, colorless fatty substance of the terpenoid class, which is secreted by many species of blister beetles. Its main current use in pharmacology is treating molluscum contagiosum and warts topically. It is a burn agent and poisonous in large doses, and has been historically used as aphrodisiacs. In its natural form, cantharidin is secreted by the male blister beetle, and given to the female as a copulatory gift during mating. Afterwards, the female beetle covers her eggs with it as a defense against predators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blister beetle</span> Family of beetles

Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators.

<i>Meloe</i> Genus of beetles

Meloe is a genus of blister beetles commonly referred to as oil beetles. The name derives from their defensive strategy: when threatened by collectors or predators they release oily droplets of hemolymph from their joints. 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 upon threat.

<i>Cerocoma</i> Genus of beetles

Cerocoma is a Palearctic genus of blister beetle, whose biology is poorly known. As in other members of the family, these insects are hypermetamorphic. Larval hosts of few species were described. Imagines show distinct sexual dimorphism in the feeding apparatus and the antennae. All species in this genus have aposematic colouration.

Nemognatha chrysomeloides is a species of oil beetle (Meloidae) endemic to Central and South America.

<i>Berberomeloe majalis</i> Species of beetle

Berberomeloe majalis, the red-striped oil beetle, is an insect in the genus Berberomeloe, in the family of Blister Beetles. It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meloinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Meloinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Meloidae. There are at least 330 described species in Meloinae.

Meloe dianella is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Meloe americanus</i> Species of beetle

Meloe americanus is a type of blister beetle (Meloidae) found in North America. It is most relevant to the fields of agriculture and veterinary medicine. Adult beetles feed on different types of plants, which could cause crop damage. They also release a fluid containing a chemical that is toxic, and at high concentrations lethal, to mammals. The first instar larvae are uniquely active and mobile, utilizing phoresy and parasitism to feed and mature through their developmental stages.

Meloe barbarus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Meloe campanicollis</i> Species of beetle

Meloe campanicollis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

Meloe occultus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

Meloe niger, the black meloe, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

Meloe dugesi is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Meloe franciscanus is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in the deserts of the southwestern United States. The larvae are parasites of bee larvae, eating them and consuming their provisions.

Meloe bitoricollis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America.

<i>Meloe laevis</i> Species of beetle

Meloe laevis, the oil beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, and North America.

<i>Mylabris variabilis</i> Species of beetle

Mylabris variabilis is a species of blister beetle belonging to the Meloidae family.

<i>Physomeloe corallifer</i> Species of blister beetle

Physomeloe corallifer is a species of blister beetle native to the Iberian Peninsula, it is the only recognised species in the genus Physomeloe.

<i>Berberomeloe castuo</i> Species of beetle

Berberomeloe castuo, known commonly as the Portuguese red-striped oil beetle, is a species of beetle in the genus of Berberomeloe.

References

  1. ↑ Bologna, Marco A. (1988). "Berberomeloe, a new west Mediterranean genus of Lyttini for Meloe majalis Lineé (Coleoptera, Meloidae). Systematics and bionomics". Bolletino di Zoologia. 55 (1–4): 359–366. doi: 10.1080/11250008809386633 .
  2. 1 2 García-Paris, M. (1998). "Revisión sistemática del género Berberomeloe Bologna, 1988 (Coleoptera, Meloidae) y diagnosis de un endemismo ibérico olvidado". Graellsia. 54: 97–109. doi: 10.3989/graellsia.1998.v54.i0.347 . hdl: 10261/46411 .
  3. ↑ Bravo, C.; Mas-Peinado, P.; Bautista, L.M.; Blanco, G.; Alonso, J.C.; García-París, M. (2017). "Cantharidin is conserved across phylogeographic lineages and present in both morphs of Iberian Berberomeloe blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 180 (4): 790–804. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlw016. hdl: 10261/153832 .


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