blister beetle

English - English

Definition of blister beetle in English English dictionary

beetle that produces a secretion that blisters the skin

Any of various soft-bodied beetles of the family Meloidae, such as the cantharis, that secrete a substance capable of blistering the skin. Also called meloid. Any of approximately 2,000 species of beetles (family Meloidae) that secrete an irritating substance, cantharidin, which is used medically as a topical skin irritant to remove warts. In the past, cantharidin was often used to induce blisters, a common remedy for many ailments, and the dried remains of Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria) were a major ingredient in so-called love potions. Adult blister beetles, which are often brightly coloured, range between 0.1 and 0.8 in. (3-20 mm) in length. Blister beetles are both helpful and harmful to humans; the larvae eat grasshopper eggs, but the adults destroy crops

Related Terms

orange blister beetle

a poisonous orange beetle, in genus Nemognatha

Hyphenation

blis·ter bee·tle

Turkish pronunciation

blîstır bitıl

Pronunciation

/ˈbləstər ˈbētəl/ /ˈblɪstɜr ˈbiːtəl/