The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20240806140015/https://bugguide.net/node/view/4587
Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events


TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Family Oedemeridae - False Blister Beetles

Unidentified cantharid - Copidita quadrimaculata Cantharid 1 - Ischnomera discolor Paroxacis interrita False Blister Beetle? - Oxacis Oxacis - Oxacis cf-trimaculata - female Beetle sp.? Long beetle - Xanthochroa californica beetle with mystery hitch hiker - Oxacis trimaculata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Tenebrionoidea
Family Oedemeridae (False Blister Beetles)
Other Common Names
Pollen Feeding Beetles(1)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
revised by Arnett (1951)(2)
Explanation of Names
Oedemeridae Latreille 1810
Oedemera: Greek οιδειν 'swell' + μηροσ 'thigh'(3)
Numbers
3 subfamilies, with ~90 spp. in 18 genera in our area, ~1500 spp. in 115 genera worldwide(4) [500/100 per(5)]; 13 spp. in Canada(6)
Overview of our fauna
Family Oedemeridae
Subfamily Oedemerinae
Size
5‒20 mm
Identification
Antennae with 11 long filiform, serrate or clavate antennomeres. Tarsal formula 5-5-4. 5-6, 2 connate ventrites. Elongate, pubescent, often brightly colored. Head not abruptly constricted posteriorly. Prothorax without margins, expanded anteriorly, then narrowed, sides rounded.
Key to Florida spp. in (1)
Habitat
Most abundant along the coast and in moist wooded habitats. Adults of some species are nectar and pollen feeders and often found on flowers. They are also found resting on foliage or in moist, rotten logs. Larvae develop in moist, decaying logs, stumps, and roots of hardwoods and conifers, including wharf pilings and driftwood.(7)
Remarks
some produce toxic defensive chemicals
See Also
Print References
Arnett, R.H., Jr. 1951. A revision of the Nearctic Oedemeridae (Coleoptera). Am. Midl. Nat. 45: 257–391.
Arnett, R.H., Jr. 1961. Contribution toward a monograph of the Oedemeridae. 14. A key to and notes on the New World genera. Coleopt. Bull. 15: 49–64.
Vaurie, P. 1951. Blistering caused by oedemerid beetles. Coleopt. Bull. 5: 78–79.
Internet References
Works Cited
1.Arnett R.H., Jr. (2000-2005) False blister beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Oedemeridae)
2.A revision of the Nearctic Oedemeridae (Coleoptera)
Arnett R.H., Jr. 1951. American Midland Naturalist 45: 257‒391.
3.The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language
4.American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
5.Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification...
Ślipiński S.A., Leschen R.A.B., Lawrence J.F. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 203–208.
6.The Oedemeridae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada
C.G. Majka & D. Langor. 2011. Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society 7: 1-6.
7.Beetles of Eastern North America
Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton University Press.