Epicauta
- Pronunciation
- /eh-pih-KAW-tuh/
- Category
- Taxonomy
- Singular
- Epicauta
- Plural
- Epicauta
Definition
A genus of blister beetles in the family Meloidae, known for their chemical defenses and association with toxic cantharidin.
Etymology
From Greek 'epi', meaning 'upon', and 'kaustos', meaning 'burned', referring to the chemical defense mechanism.
Example
Epicauta species are known to produce cantharidin, a toxic compound used as a defense mechanism.