Macrobasis
Guides
Epicauta alastor
Epicauta alastor is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, placed in the subgenus Macrobasis. The species was described by Skinner in 1904 and occurs in North America. Like other Epicauta species, it produces the defensive toxin cantharidin. The subgenus Macrobasis is characterized by males having serrate or pectinate antennae, distinguishing it from the nominate subgenus Epicauta.
Epicauta alpina
Epicauta alpina is a blister beetle species in the family Meloidae, first described by Werner in 1944. It belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within the genus Epicauta. The species is known from North America, with museum records indicating 27 specimens in the Entomology Research Museum collection. Like other Epicauta species, it likely produces cantharidin, a defensive terpenoid compound characteristic of blister beetles.
Epicauta arizonica
Epicauta arizonica is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Werner in 1944. The species is assigned to the subgenus Macrobasis within Epicauta. It is found in Central America and North America, with 326 observations documented on iNaturalist. Like other Epicauta species, it produces cantharidin, a defensive toxin that causes blistering and is toxic to most vertebrates.
Epicauta atrivittata
Black-striped Blister Beetle
Epicauta atrivittata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, occurring in Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus Epicauta, it produces cantharidin, a defensive terpenoid compound that is toxic to most vertebrates and causes blistering on contact with skin. The species is placed in the subgenus Macrobasis based on morphological characteristics.
Epicauta fabricii
ashgray blister beetle
Epicauta fabricii, commonly known as the ashgray blister beetle, is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae. Adults feed on foliage of leguminous plants including honeylocust, black locust, alfalfa, sweet clover, wild indigo, soybean, and locoweed. Larvae are predatory, feeding on grasshopper eggs. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis.
Epicauta gissleri
Epicauta gissleri is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, native to North America. It was described by Horn in 1878 and is currently classified within the subgenus Macrobasis of the genus Epicauta. The species is known from limited museum specimens and observations, with records indicating presence in western North American regions. As with other Epicauta species, it likely possesses chemical defenses based on cantharidin, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Epicauta hirsutipubescens
Texas Thin-lined Epicauta
Epicauta hirsutipubescens is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The species was described by Maydell in 1934 and is classified in the subgenus Macrobasis of the genus Epicauta. Like other Epicauta species, it is expected to produce cantharidin, a defensive terpenoid compound that causes blistering and is toxic to most animals.
Epicauta immaculata
immaculate meloid, Brown Blister Beetle
Epicauta immaculata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, commonly known as the immaculate meloid or Brown Blister Beetle. It is distributed across Central America and North America. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within Epicauta. Like other blister beetles, it possesses cantharidin, a defensive compound that can cause skin irritation.
Epicauta lauta
Epicauta lauta is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by George Henry Horn in 1885. It belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within the genus Epicauta. The species is distributed across Central America and North America, with museum holdings indicating substantial collections from the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it possesses chemical defenses based on cantharidin.
Epicauta longicollis
Epicauta longicollis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by LeConte in 1853. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus Epicauta, it produces cantharidin, a defensive toxin that can cause blistering in humans and is toxic to livestock when ingested via contaminated hay. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within Epicauta.
Epicauta maculifera
Epicauta maculifera is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, described by Maydell in 1934. It belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within the large genus Epicauta. The species is found in North America. Like other blister beetles, it produces cantharidin, a defensive toxin.
Epicauta murina
Dark Blister Beetle
Epicauta murina, the dark blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in North America. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within the genus Epicauta.
Epicauta ochrea
Ochre Beaded Blister Beetle
Epicauta ochrea is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, commonly known as the Ochre Beaded Blister Beetle. The species was described by LeConte in 1853 and is placed in the subgenus Macrobasis. It occurs across Central America and North America, with museum records indicating substantial collections from western regions. Like other Epicauta species, it likely produces cantharidin, a defensive compound that causes blistering on contact with skin.
Epicauta polingi
Poling's Two-toned Blister Beetle
Epicauta polingi is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Werner in 1944. The species is placed in the subgenus Macrobasis, distinguishing it from many other Epicauta species. It is known from both Central America and North America, with museum holdings indicating established populations in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other Epicauta species, it possesses chemical defenses based on cantharidin.
Epicauta subglabra
caragana blister beetle
Epicauta subglabra, commonly known as the caragana blister beetle, is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis within the large genus Epicauta. Like other blister beetles, it produces cantharidin, a defensive toxin that causes blistering on contact with skin. The common name references its association with Caragana, a genus of leguminous shrubs.
Epicauta sublineata
Gray-headed Blister Beetle
Epicauta sublineata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The species is assigned to the subgenus Macrobasis within Epicauta. Like other blister beetles, it possesses chemical defenses based on cantharidin.
Epicauta tenuilineata
Thin-lined Blister Beetle
Epicauta tenuilineata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, commonly known as the Thin-lined Blister Beetle. It is distributed across Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus Epicauta, it belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis. The species was described by Horn in 1894.
Epicauta tenuis
Epicauta tenuis is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Meloinae, and tribe Epicautini. The species was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853 and is currently classified in the subgenus Macrobasis. It is one of approximately 150 described species in the large genus Epicauta, which is distributed primarily in the New World. The species is known from museum collections in North America, with specimens documented in the Entomology Research Museum at the University of California, Riverside.
Epicauta torsa
Twisted-horn Epicauta
Epicauta torsa is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis, characterized by distinctive antennal morphology. Like other Epicauta species, it produces the defensive compound cantharidin. The common name "Twisted-horn Epicauta" references its characteristic antennae.
Epicauta valida
Blister beetle
Epicauta valida is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by LeConte in 1853. As a member of the subgenus Macrobasis, it belongs to a diverse group of meloid beetles known for their chemical defenses. The species is documented in entomological collections with 19 specimens held at the Entomology Research Museum as of 2010.