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HUGE BLACK AND BLUE ANT LIKE INSECT (Oil blister beetle)

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Oil blister beetle
by: Moni

Dave
Your insect is one of the blister beetles in the genus Meloe. These are also called the oil beetles.
They are found thru out North America.
The larvae of these beetles feed on eggs and other food in ground bee nests. Adults feed on leaves and flowers.
There are many stories about how the beetles get the larvae to the nests.
The adult beetles have an oily substance that comes out between leg joints...hence the name.

The blood or fluid in the bodies of these insects contains cantharidin which will cause blisters if gotten on your skin. This is where the family common name of blister beetle comes from.

Here are photos of this genus -
http://bugguide.net/node/view/303/bgimage

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