Names and Taxonomy
- Common Names: Red-eared Blister Beetle
- Synonyms:
- Order: Coleoptera
- Family: Blister Beetles (Meloidae)
- Genus Information: Number of Species, 30 in CA, 15 in AZ, 8 in NV, 6 in UT, 70 in US
Lytta auriculata
Red-Eared Blister Beetle
Introduction:
The Red-Eared Blister Beetle is a strikingly patterned desert beetle recognizable by its bright reddish head and dark, metallic body. Like other members of the blister beetle family, it produces cantharidin, a potent defensive chemical agent capable of causing painful skin blisters upon contact.
Life Cycle:
Size 0.5 to 0.9 in (1.3 to 2.3 cm)
Sexual Dimorphism:
Metamorphosis: complete (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
