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19.1. Life cycle of a blister beetle (modifi ed from: Bologna 1991). Dashed arrows refer to a deviation from the usual ontogenetic pathway, see text for details.
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Context 1
... Mylabrini (e. g., Australytta and Ceroctis Marseul) attack other aculeates, namely Masaridae, Vespidae and Sphecidae (see Bologna 1983Bologna , 1991. Larvae of certain Epicauta are reported to feed on the eggs of their own species or other congeners (Selander 1981(Selander , 1982. The family is characterized by hypermetamorphic larval development (Fig. 11.19.1) (Fabre 1857), although the poorly known Eleticinae may be an exception ( Pinto et al. 1996;Bologna et al. 2001). In the typical form of meloid hypermetamorphosis, the larva passes through four distinct phases before entering the pupal stage. Development takes place in the soil or in some Nemognathinae in wood. Each phase is ...
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... Adults (Fig. 11.19.2). Body shape heterogeneous, but most species elongate. Length 3 to 30 mm, usually 10 to 20 mm but attaining 60-70 mm in a few groups (e. g., Berberomeloe Bologna, Wagneronota Denier, Cissites Latreille, Synhoria Kolbe). Integument soft. Color variable, opaque or metallic. Vestiture usually fi ne, often very sparse and short above, but ...
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... genera (tribe Stenoderini, and an Australian lineage). Female external genitalia with a membranous tube-like ovipositor in Eleticinae; ovipositor short in the remaining subfamilies; gonocoxites long, variously shaped; gonostyli more or less elongate. [Beauregard 1890;Bologna 1991;Pinto & Bologna 1999;Bologna & Pinto 2002.] Morphology, Larvae (Fig. 11.19.3). Only the fi rst instar or triungulin is known for the vast majority of those Meloidae with described larvae. Later instars are described for only a few species of Meloinae and Nemognathinae. In the Eleticinae, the fi rst instar larva is known only for two genera, Eletica and ...
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... Instar. Body well sclerotized except in Eleticinae. Larvae campodeiform, with slender, subparallel body and elongate and slender legs (Fig. ...
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... phylogenetic study of Bologna et al. (2008) (Fig. 11.19.5) includes molecular analyses using mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (ITS2) DNA sequences in 25 genera, and a combined analysis of molecular, morphological and eco-ethological characters (the last two primarily based on the Bologna & Pinto 2001 study). The secondary structure of 16S and ITS2 rRNAs were modelled, and ITS2 structure ...
Citations
... In hypermetamorphic development, the first-instar larva, referred to as a triungulin, is morphologically very dissimilar from the following four instars, being campodeiform and highly mobile. After the initial molt, the four larval feeding stages feed externally on a host bee larva and its provisions or the eggs of grasshoppers (Pinto & Bologna 2002). ...
... We have chosen not to include these records in this paper so that we do not include what could eventually be erroneous identifications. The classification below follows Pinto & Bologna (2002). This is not intended to be a complete list and does not include species known to exist in Guatemala for which we did not examine specimens. ...
... The Meloidae (Coleoptera) contains about 3000 species placed in 120 genera (Bologna et al. 2008a). This family, commonly known as blister beetles, is cosmopolitan (except in New Zealand, Antarctica, and most Polynesian islands) (Bologna et al. 2010). ...
... Distributions of the species in Türkiye were evaluated using the relevant literature (Baudi di Selve 1878a;1878b;Bodemeyer 1900;Bologna 1979;1991;1994;Bologna and Di Giulio 2006;Figure 1. Map of Ankara province and localities of collected specimens (Provinces, geographical regions, and sections data were taken from the Türkiye General Directorate of Mapping (2020) and designed with ArcGIS Pro v.2.2). Bologna and Pinto 1995;2016;Bologna et al. 2008b;Borchmann 1917;Bulut 2010;Bytinski-Salz 1956;Di Giulio and Bologna 2007;Dvořák 1990;Escherich 1895;1896;1897a;1897b;1899;Fairmaire 1884;1892;Frivaldszky 1877;Gadeau de Kerville 1939;Ganglbauer 1905;Giray 1985;Kantardjièva 1929;Kaszab 1941;1951;1952;1956;1959;1967;1968;Korkmaz 2015;Mader 1927;Mařan 1942a;1942b;1944;Marseul 1872;Olivier 1811;Özbek and Szaloki 1998;Pan and Bologna 2014;Pardo Alcaide 1977;Pic 1912;1930;Reiche 1866;Reitter 1913;Sahlberg 1913;Sumakov 1915;1930;Tezcan et al. 2010;Tezcan et al. 2020;Turco and Bologna;2011;Urlu 2006). Taxonomy is based on the Bologna (2008) and Sánchez-Vialas et al. (2021;2022), Riccieri et al. (2022Riccieri et al. ( , 2023 were adopted for the taxonomic status of the species at the subgenus and genus levels. ...
This study aims to perform an ecological and zoogeographical analysis of the Meloidae in Ankara province, Türkiye. The ecological evaluations detected higher species diversities in June, 701-900m in elevation range, and 20.1–25.0°C in air temperature. There was no difference in the detecting elevations according to the phylogenetic positions of the species, a significant difference was observed between the collecting air temperatures. Host plants of 33 species were identified. The zoogeographic analysis revealed that the highest rate (18.6% of the detected species) was in the Turano-European regions.
... The family Meloidae (Coleoptera) has about 3000 species belonging to 120 genera [1]. This family, known as blister beetles, is cosmopolitan (except New Zealand, Antarctica and most Polynesian islands) [2]. This family has the tenebrionoid type of male genitalia, and parameres partly or entirely fused but articulated with phallobase. ...
... Nemognathinae lacks both aedeagal dorsal hooks and endophallic hooks. Parameres distinct, fused only basally in Eleticinae, Meloinae and Tetraonycinae; completely fused in most Nemognathinae except in certain genera [2]. The focus of this study is to make important contributions to Meloidae taxonomy by examining with the drawing and describing of male genital organs of specimens collected from Ankara. ...
The focus of this study is to make important contributions to Meloidae taxonomy. Specimens belonging to thirty-two species of the family Meloidae (Coleoptera) were collected from Ankara province in 2018-2019. Male genital structures of these species were examined. Photographs and drawings of the male genital organ structures of all these species (32 species), and descriptions of some of them, which were found to be missing in the current literature, were given. The taxonomic key has been constructed for these species from the present literature and examined materials. Also, male genital organs of all species were compared to the literature. Photographs and drawings of the male genital organs of Alosimus luteus (Waltl, 1838), A. marginicollis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880) and Euzonitis rubida (Ménétriés, 1832) were given for the first time with this study.
... Meloidae (blister beetles) are a diverse, cosmopolitan family of beetles occurring primarily in warm temperate to arid regions that consist of four subfamilies and about 120 genera (Bologna et al. 2010). The diets of adult Meloidae are variable, with phytophagy dominant and predation subdominant. ...
... The diets of adult Meloidae are variable, with phytophagy dominant and predation subdominant. Most larvae are predaceous, feeding on grasshopper egg pods and immatures of aculeate wasps and bees, with development occurring in the soil or wood (Bologna et al. 2010). However, parasite and parasitoid forms occur throughout the family. ...
... The triungulin instar is followed by a first instar grub, a feeding stage of robust proportions; then a coarctate instar, a resting stage in diapause; and finally a second grub instar that is active but nonfeeding prior to pupation (Selander and Mathieu 1964). Parasitic (and parasitoidic) larvae use grasshoppers, ground beetles, aculeate wasps and bees as hosts (Engel 2005a;Bologna et al. 2010). Although meloid consumers of other animals are over-represented by parasitoids, the family does harbor several lineages of ectoparasites (Engel 2005a;Bologna and Di Giulio 2011). ...
Insect parasites and parasitoids are a major component of terrestrial food webs. For parasitoids, categorization is whether feeding activity is located inside or outside its host, if the host is immobilized or allowed to grow, and if the feeding is done by one or many conspecific or heterospecific individuals, and other features. Fossil evidence for parasitism and parasitoidism consists of taxonomic affiliation, morphology, gut contents, coprolites, tissue damage and trace fossils. Ten hemimetabolous and holometabolous orders of insects developed the parasite condition whereas seven orders of holometabolous insects evolved the parasitoid life habit. Modern terrestrial food webs are important for understanding the Mid Mesozoic Parasitoid Revolution. The MMPR began in late Early Jurassic (Phase 1), in which bottom-to-top regulation of terrestrial food webs dominated by inefficient clades of predators were replaced by top-to-bottom control by trophically more efficient parasitoid clades. The MMPR became consolidated in Phase 2 by the end of the Early Cretaceous. These clades later expanded (phases 3 and 4) as parasitoids became significant ecological elements in terrestrial food webs. Bottom-to-top food webs explained by the resource concentration hypothesis characterize pre-MMPR time. During phases 1 and 2 of MMPR (Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous), a shift ensued toward top-to-down food webs, explained by the trophic cascade hypothesis, exemplified by hymenopteran parasitoid clades Stephanoidea and Evanioidea. Clade-specific innovations spurring the MMPR included long, flexible ovipositors (wasps), host seeking, triungulin and planidium larvae (mantispids, beetles, twisted-wing parasites, flies), and extrudable, telescoped ovipositors (flies). After the MMPR, in phases 3 and 4 (Late Cretaceous to Recent), parasitoids increased in taxonomic diversity, becoming integrated into food webs that continue to the present day.
... T he family Meloidae (Coleoptera) has about 3000 species belonging to 120 genera in the Palearctic Region [1]. This family, also known as blister beetles, is cosmopolitan (except New Zealand, Antarctica and most Polynesian islands) [2]. Species distribute in the temperate steppe, arid regions, semi-tropics, tropical savannas, or other open habitats [3,4]. ...
The main aim of this study is to determining Meloidae fauna of Ankara. 3301 specimens were collected. 43 species belonging
to 2 subfamilies and 15 genera were identified. The genus Mylabris Fabricius, 1775 is the most species-rich genus
with 10 species. Cerocoma (s.str.) bernhaueri Pardo Alcaide, 1977, Alosimus luteus (Waltl, 1838), Teratolytta monticola Bologna,
2006, Hycleus polymorphus (Pallas, 1771), H. sexmaculatus (A.G. Olivier, 1811), Mylabris (Micrabris) unicolor Faldermann,
1837, Meloe (Eurymeloe) mediterraneus (G. Muller, 1925) and Stenoria (s.str.) apicalis (Latreille, 1804) species were
recorded from Central Anatolian Region of Turkey for the first time. Detailed locality records of M. (Micrabris) unicolor and
S. (s.str.) apicalis in Turkey were given with this study for the first time. The most western distributions of Alosimus luteus
and Teratolytta monticola were given with this study.
... Most are relatively large beetles, wingless and with abbreviated elytra (Fig. 2). As is characteristic of the vast majority of meloids, development in Meloe is hypermetamorphic with a highly sclerotized, mobile campodeiform first instar planidial larva (triungulin) that disperses and attains its food source, followed by a series of scarabaeiform grub-like feeding instars (Bologna et al. 2010). Meloe and the majority of other meloid genera studied thus far feed on the provisions and immature stages of ground-or woodnesting aculeate Hymenoptera. ...
... In these cases, males usually sequester toxic substances from an external source and transmit them to the females during mating; examples of this are Noctuoidea butterflies, storing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Dussourd et al., 1989(Dussourd et al., , 1991Hartman et al., 2004) or cyanogenic glycosides (Cardoso and Gilbert, 2007), and the spotted cucumber beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, 1947 seizing cucurbitacins (Tallamy et al., 2000). However, other insects are able to synthesize themselves defensive chemicals, as is the case of the almost 3000 coleopteran species belonging the family Meloidae (Bologna et al., 2008(Bologna et al., , 2010, also known as blister beetles for their ability to produce and release secretions containing cantharidin, a terpene with well-documented cytotoxic and blistering effects (Bologna, 1991;Carrel et al., 1993). In Meloidae, the main function of cantharidin is to provide defence to adults: in fact, when threatened, blister beetles release small droplets of haemolymphatic exudate containing this toxic substance (Blodgett et al., 1991;Carrel et al., 1993;Nakatani et al., 2004;Verma and Prasad, 2012;Bravo et al., 2017;Gisondi et al., 2019). ...
Blister beetles owe their name to their ability to release cantharidin, a blistering terpene, the highest concentration of which is retained in male accessory glands. The anatomy and ultrastructure of the three pairs of male reproductive accessory glands and the glandular region of the two vasa deferentia of Meloe proscarabaeus were investigated using light, electron and ion beam microscopy. All of the mesodermal glands here analysed share a common structural organization with an outer muscular layer and an inner glandular epithelium facing a broad lumen in which the secretory products are released. Developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi systems, abundant mitochondria, numerous secretory vesicles and a microvillated apical membrane are commonly found in the cells of different glandular epithelia, suggesting that all accessory gland pairs as well as the vasa deferentia are involved in an active synthesis. Nevertheless, each pair of glands appears specialized in the production of a specific set of substances, as suggested by the peculiarities in cellular ultrastructure and by the different aspect of the secretions stored in their glandular lumen. The above cited features of male accessory glands of M. proscarabaeus are compared with those of other beetles and some hints on their potential role in producing and/or concentrating cantharidin are provided.
... Para la identificación, se utilizó un microscopio estereoscópico STEMI DV4® (de Carl Zeiss®) y las claves taxonómicas para familias de Triplehorn y Johnson (2005). Para géneros, se utilizó la siguiente literatura especializada: Orthoptera, Blattodea, Isoptera y Dermaptera (Helfer, 1972); Termitidae (Nickle y Collins, 1988), (Constantino, 2002); Hemiptera: Heteroptera (Slater y Baranowski, 1978), Cicadellidae (Dietrich, 2005); Carabidae (Choate, 2001), (Ball y Bousquet, 2001); Elateridae (Johnson, 2002), (Martínez Luque, 2014); Histeridae (Kovarik y Caterino, 2002); Staphylinidae (Newton et al., 2001), (Navarrete Heredia et al., 2002); Phengodidae (O´Keefe, 2002), (Zaragoza-Caballero y Pérez-Hernández, 2014); Geotrupidae ; Ochodaeidae (Carlson, 2002); Scarabaeidae (Deloya y Morón, 1994), (Delgado Castillo et al. 2000), (Ratclife et al., 2002), (Deloya et al., 2016); Nitidulidae (Habeck 2002), (Hernández, 2013); Mordellidae (Jackman y Lu 2002); Tenebrionidae (Aalbu et al., 2002), (Doyen, 1988); Meloidae (Pinto y Bologna, 2002); Anthicidae (Chandler, 1977; Chrysomelidae (Riley et al., 2002); Curculionidae (Anderson, 2002); Hymenoptera (Goulet y Huber, 1993); Formicidae (Mackay y Mackay, 1989), (Escalante-Jiménez et al., 2006); Pompilidae Figura 2. Diseño de "zig-zag", para la colocación de trampas de caída en transectos en "T" según Quijano-Ravell (2008). (Evans, 1966), (Vardy, 2000); Bethylidae (Polaszek y Krombein, 1994), (Terayama, 2003); Sphecidae (Parker, 1962); Mutillidae (Manley y Pitts, 2002); Diptera (Brown et al., 2009;2010); Microcoryphia (Bowser, 2012). ...
In the Carácuaro-Nocupétaro valley in the state of Michoacán, the diversity of the epigean entomofauna was analyzed in two sites with a diferential degree of anthropization using genus as the taxonomic level. In the valley, in the municipality of Nocupétaro, there is high anthropic activity where the sampling site was placed (“disturbed”); whereas in the municipality of Carácuaro the sampling location was in an area with similar to the original vegetation (“preserved”); thus establishing a contrast between a site with of anthropic activities such as livestock and agriculture compared with a relatively preserved site. At each site, 20 pit-fall traps were placed in north-south and east-west oriented transects until accumulate 40 traps per site. Seasonal collects were made between June 2015 and March 2016. The traps captured 14,181 specimens included in 16 orders, 61 families and 159 genera. With the Shannon-Wiener index relatively small values of diversity were obtained while the values increased when the ants were removed; however, the statistically signifcant diferences obtained with the t test modifed by Hutcheson were retained: among sites the “preserved” has diversity value major than the “disturbed” site (p < 0.0001). Comparing seasons, the highest diversity was measured in the rainy season (p < 0.0001). The comparison for sites showed that the “preserved” site was more diverse than “disturbed” in both seasons (p < 0.0001). The measured similarity with Jaccard and Bray Curtis index was ≈ 43 % including ants while when these were removed the index was ≈ 40 %. Anthropization by agricultural and grazing activities cause changes in the composition and structure of epigeal insect communities, refecting on major changes in generic composition, diversity, and dominance in communities; while seasonally, the rainy season generates greater diversity at both sites.
... Larvae of this genus are parasitoids of ground nesting bees and are phoretic on adult bees. Phoresy appears to be the main means this flightless species uses to reach their host nests (Pinto and Bologna 2002) and may also be the primary way it disperses to new areas. ...
One-hundred-eleven new provincial and territorial Coleoptera records are reported from New Brunswick (64), Nova Scotia (20), Prince Edward Island (5), Quebec (14), Manitoba (3), British Columbia (3), and Yukon Territory (2) for the 26 following families: Carabidae, Dytiscidae, Histeridae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, Buprestidae, Eucnemidae, Elateridae, Cantharidae, Erotylidae, Monotomidae, Cryptophagidae, Passandridae (first record of this family from New Brunswick), Laemophloeidae, Nitidulidae, Anamorphidae, Coccinellidae, Latridiidae, Mordellidae, Tenebrionidae, Cerambycidae, Chrysomelidae, Anthribidae, Brentidae, Dryophthoridae, and Curculionidae. Among these are ten new Canadian records: Heterosternuta oppositus (Say, 1823) (Dytiscidae) (New Brunswick), Gyrophaena blatchleyi Seevers, 1951 (Staphylinidae) (Quebec), Acropteroxys lecontei Crotch, 1873 (Erotylidae) (Manitoba), Placonotus falinorum Thomas, 2011 (Laemophloeidae) (Quebec), Adelina pallida (Say, 1824) (Tenebrionidae) (Quebec), Poecilocera harrisii (J.L. LeConte, 1851) (Chrysomelidae) (New Brunswick), Plesiobaris albilata (LeConte, 1876) (Curculionidae) (Quebec, New Brunswick), Pseudopityophthorus asperulus (LeConte, 1868) (Curculionidae) (Nova Scotia), Hylurgops palliatus (Gyllenhal, 1813) (Curculionidae) (New Brunswick), and Heteroborips seriatus (Blandford, 1894) (Curculionidae) (Nova Scotia). Plesiobaris disjuncta Casey reported as new for Canada in New Brunswick and Quebec by Webster et al. (2012a) is actually P. albilata (LeConte) and thus P. disjuncta is removed from the faunal list of Canada. Eleven species from New Brunswick not previously reported in literature were found on the online platforms BugGuide.Net and iNaturalist and are reported in this publication. This highlights the importance of online platforms dedicated to recording wildlife observations and citizen science in detecting new species records. Data is also presented for seven species from Quebec and two species from New Brunswick reported by Bousquet et al. (2013) without any supporting information for their occurrence in these provinces. Among the species reported here, 32 are adventive.
... Meloidae, or "blister beetles", is a widespread family of Coleoptera Tenebrionoidea which includes almost 3,000 species (Bologna 1991;Bologna et al. 2008Bologna et al. , 2010, all characterized by the ability to produce and store cantharidin (CA), a toxic terpene. When disturbed, blister beetles usually enter thanatosis and secrete CA as yellow oily droplets of hemolymph from leg joints ("reflex bleeding"). ...
Cantharidin (CA), a toxic terpene produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae), attracts the interest of many researchers for its renowned medical properties. The CA content in blister beetles has been mainly quantified in some Oriental species, due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine, or in few other species of toxicological importance. As CA quantification has been largely ignored in many other members of this family, we aimed at estimating CA content in natural populations of two of the most abundant species in central Italy, Mylabris variabilis and Lydus trimaculatus. Nearly 100 individuals for each species were collected in the field, identified and reared in fauna-boxes until CA collection. Available protocols were optimized for CA extraction from both dried-body tissues and exuded hemolymph collected from leg joints using capillary tubes. The CA content was quantified in a gas chromatography system coupled to a mass spectrometer using a calibration curve with diethyl-ester of norcantharidin as the internal standard. We observed: (i) high variability in CA content among specimens, which was positively related to individual dry-weight; and (ii) slightly larger (though non-significant) amount of CA in males than in females for both species. Our data are consistent with the available published reports about CA content, transfer and distribution in blister beetles and suggest a conserved biological role of this terpene in Meloidae.
