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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Epicauta diversicornis
Epicauta diversicornis

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Blister Beetles (Family Meloidae)

-Subfamily Meloinae

-Tribe Epicautini

-Burning Blister Beetles (Genus Epicauta)

-Epicauta diversicornis


Epicauta diversicornis is a species within the Epicauta genus of burning blister beetles in the family Meloidae. Like other blister beetles, E. diversicornis is notable for its secretion of cantharidin, a toxin that causes blisters on contact with skin and can be harmful if ingested by livestock. Adult Feeding: Adults feed on a variety of plants, especially legumes like alfalfa, clover, and beans. They consume leaves, flowers, and stems, which can lead to crop damage. Larval Stage: The larvae of E. diversicornis are predators of grasshopper eggs, feeding on them within the soil.

Diet

  • Adults: Primarily herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, buds, and other above-ground plant tissues. Adult host plants can vary.

  • Larvae: Have a highly specialized life cycle. The first larval stage searches for grasshopper egg pods, and subsequent stages feed on the eggs. This unusual development is characteristic of Epicauta.

Range

  • The species is part of the Epicauta diversicornis species group, a closely related assemblage of Neotropical blister beetles. A detailed revision of the group noted that the known species are concentrated in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Habitat

  • Associated with tropical dry forest, tropical deciduous forest, scrubland, grassland, woodland edges, agricultural areas, and other open habitats.

  • Adults occur on herbaceous vegetation and flowers, while immature stages develop in soil where grasshopper egg pods are present.

  • The species can occur in seasonally dry environments characteristic of western Mexico.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in). Members of the E. diversicornis group are described as moderately slender and generally within approximately 10–20 mm in length.


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