Blisters Under the Sun - _TNY_8761
This beauty trying to hide from my camera on the underside of a dandelion is a male Oedemera virescens, one of the false blister beetles.
Now, you might think the name indicates that they (Oedemeridae) actually don't cause blisters like the true blister beetles (family Meloidae), but they do. The false part pertains to something else.
I am not certain about this particular species, but some in the family ooze the chemical cantharidin when pinched or squashed against the skin.
The Swedish language, as many others, don't distinguish between venomous (as in having a venom in a bite or sting) and poisonous (being toxic to eat) - we call both "giftig". This often irks me when Swedes mean venomous but say poisonous and aren't aware there is a difference. With these guys being full of cantharidin, I guess you really could say it is a poisonous beetle though.
Blisters Under the Sun - _TNY_8761
This beauty trying to hide from my camera on the underside of a dandelion is a male Oedemera virescens, one of the false blister beetles.
Now, you might think the name indicates that they (Oedemeridae) actually don't cause blisters like the true blister beetles (family Meloidae), but they do. The false part pertains to something else.
I am not certain about this particular species, but some in the family ooze the chemical cantharidin when pinched or squashed against the skin.
The Swedish language, as many others, don't distinguish between venomous (as in having a venom in a bite or sting) and poisonous (being toxic to eat) - we call both "giftig". This often irks me when Swedes mean venomous but say poisonous and aren't aware there is a difference. With these guys being full of cantharidin, I guess you really could say it is a poisonous beetle though.