Oil beetle
Appearance
The oil beetle (or Meloe) is a blister beetle genus. They are called "oil beetles" because they release oily droplets of hemolymph when disturbed.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Oil_beetle_from_Wiener_Prater.jpg/220px-Oil_beetle_from_Wiener_Prater.jpg)
The liquid is a poisonous chemical that causes skin blistering and painful swelling.
Members of this genus do not have wings. They have shortened elytra.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Oil Beetles". BugGuide. Retrieved Feb 20, 2017.