Batrachotoxin
Guides
Melyridae
Soft-winged Flower Beetles, Soft-wing Flower Beetles
Melyridae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea, containing over 100 genera worldwide with approximately 520 species in 48 genera in North America. Members are commonly found on flowers, with most adults and larvae being predaceous. The family includes three recognized subfamilies: Dasytinae, Malachiinae, and Melyrinae. Some species, notably in the genus Choresine, have been found to contain potent batrachotoxins, potentially serving as a dietary source for toxic birds and poison-dart frogs.