🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

American oil beetles belong to the beetle family Meloidae and belong to the genus Meloe. These are a large beetle species that have an iridescent shiny black body that is massive in relation to its head and thorax.

These big black beetles get their common name from an oily substance they emit when disturbed. This poisonous chemical can cause skin blistering which is why they are also called ‘blister beetles.’ They have 2 antennae that point up like an upside-down L shape. They are also identified by their long spindly legs attached to their thorax that carry their oversized body.

Although oil beetles have wings, they are generally flightless insects and prefer to slowly move around looking for plant material to feed on.