Stats

Lifespan

Annual

Size

Large

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

Oil beetles are blister beetles that are native to the Americas. These beetles release bright orange, sticky, poisonous fluid from their joints to defend themselves.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Meloidae

Genus

Meloe