Nemognathinae
Guides
Gnathium
Gnathium is a genus of blister beetles in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species distributed primarily in North America. Members of this genus are characterized by their elongated, nectar-feeding mouthparts, which represent a distinctive adaptation within the family. The genus was established by Kirby in 1819.
Gnathium californicum
Gnathium californicum is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It is native to North America. Like other members of the genus Gnathium, it possesses elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding from flowers with deep corollas. The species was described by Wickham in 1905.
Gnathium francilloni
Gnathium francilloni is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The genus Gnathium is characterized by elongated, filiform maxillary galeae adapted for nectar feeding on flowers with deep corollas. This species occurs in North America and is part of a genus whose members are among the smallest blister beetles.
Gnathium minimum
Brown-bordered Sunflower Blister Beetle
Gnathium minimum is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, commonly known as the Brown-bordered Sunflower Blister Beetle. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated, nectar-feeding mouthparts. The species is found in Central America and North America, with records extending to Alberta, Canada.
Gnathium nitidum
Gnathium nitidum is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It was described by George Henry Horn in 1870. The species is found in Central America and North America. As a member of the genus Gnathium, it possesses the characteristic elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers.
Hornia
Hornia is a genus of blister beetles (Meloidae: Nemognathinae) established by C.V. Riley in 1877. Species in this genus exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism, with females being physogastric—the abdomen becomes greatly distended, an adaptation associated with reproductive biology. The genus is rarely collected and poorly known biologically, with most information derived from scattered historical records and limited laboratory observations.
Lycostomus sanguinipennis
Lycostomus sanguinipennis is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The genus Lycostomus is a small group within the Nemognathinae, and this species is characterized by its red-winged appearance as indicated by the specific epithet "sanguinipennis" (blood-red wings). Members of this genus are associated with bee parasitism, though specific details for this species remain limited in available sources.
Nemognatha
Nemognatha is a genus of blister beetles (family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae) containing at least 20 described species. Adults are distinguished by greatly elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding from flowers with deep corollas. The genus exhibits specialized reproductive biology: females serve as vectors for first-instar larvae, transporting them to host nests of bees where they develop as parasites. This phoretic transport mechanism and nest parasitism represent distinctive life history traits within the Meloidae.
Nemognatha bifoveata
Beebalm Blister Beetle
Nemognatha bifoveata is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It is found in North America. The species belongs to a genus characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on flowers with deep corollas. The specific epithet 'bifoveata' refers to two foveae (depressions or pits), likely a diagnostic morphological feature. The species was described by W.R. Enns in his 1956 revision of North American Nemognathinae.
Nemognatha cantharidis
Nemognatha cantharidis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by MacSwain in 1951. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers. The species occurs in Central America and North America.
Nemognatha cribraria
Nemognatha cribraria is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, characterized by elongated maxillae adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species occurs in North America, with two recognized subspecies: N. c. cribraria and N. c. fuscula. Adults are typically found on flowers, particularly those with deep corollas, where they feed on nectar and pollen using their specialized mouthparts.
Nemognatha lurida
Nemognatha lurida is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The species occurs in Central and North America, with two recognized subspecies: N. l. lurida and N. l. apicalis. Like other members of the genus, it possesses elongated maxillary structures adapted for nectar feeding on flowers. The species is represented by 172 specimens in the UCR Entomology Research Museum collection.
Nemognatha macswaini
Nemognatha macswaini is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It was described by W.R. Enns in 1956. The species is found in North America and is part of a genus characterized by elongated, nectar-feeding mouthparts adapted to flowers with deep corollas. Like other Nemognatha species, it likely feeds on pollen and nectar as an adult.
Nemognatha nigripennis
Nemognatha nigripennis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by LeConte in 1853. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, characterized by elongated maxillae adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with records from the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, adults are typically found on flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar using their specialized mouthparts.
Nemognatha nitidula
blister beetle
Nemognatha nitidula is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, described by Enns in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers. The species is found in North America and is part of a genus known for its distinctive floral associations and capillary-based nectar uptake rather than true sucking mouthparts.
Nemognatha piazata
Orange Blister Beetle
Nemognatha piazata is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, commonly known as the Orange Blister Beetle. It is native to North America and belongs to the distinctive subfamily Nemognathinae, whose members possess elongated mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species was described by Fabricius in 1798 and includes three recognized subspecies: N. p. piazata, N. p. bicolor, and N. p. palliata.
Nemognatha piazata bicolor
Nemognatha piazata bicolor is a subspecies of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, native to North America. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, characterized by adults with greatly elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on nectar from deep-corolla flowers. The species is part of a genus notable for its specialized nectar-feeding morphology that functions through capillary action rather than true sucking.
Nemognatha punctulata
Nemognatha punctulata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. Like other members of its genus, it possesses elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species is found in North America. It belongs to a group of meloid beetles whose nectar-feeding mechanism involves capillary action rather than true sucking.
Nemognatha scutellaris
blister beetle
Nemognatha scutellaris is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, native to North America. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group distinguished by elongated adult mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. The species is among the more frequently collected members of its genus, with approximately 450 specimens held in the Entomology Research Museum collection. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, it exhibits specialized feeding adaptations involving capillary action rather than true sucking mouthparts.
Nemognatha selanderi
Nemognatha selanderi is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, described by Enns in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated adult mouthparts adapted for feeding on flowers. The species is known from North America. Like other members of its genus, it likely possesses the distinctive elongated maxillae that enable nectar feeding from deep corolla flowers.
Nemognatha soror
Nemognatha soror is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by MacSwain in 1951. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group distinguished by greatly elongated adult mouthparts adapted for feeding on flowers. The species is found in North America, with records from British Columbia.
Nemognatha sparsa
Nemognatha sparsa is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by LeConte in 1868. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, which is characterized by elongated adult mouthparts adapted for feeding on flowers. The species is known from North America, with specimen records from museum collections in the western United States.
Pseudozonitis
Pseudozonitis is a genus of blister beetles (family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae) established by Dillon in 1952. The genus contains approximately 17 described species distributed primarily in North America. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, species in this genus are characterized by elongated, filamentous maxillae adapted for feeding on nectar from flowers with deep corollas. The genus is closely related to Nemognatha and Zonitis, forming part of a species group within the tribe Nemognathini.
Pseudozonitis brevis
Pseudozonitis brevis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. Described by Enns in 1956, it is one of approximately 10 recognized species in the genus Pseudozonitis, which is restricted to the New World. The species is known from North America, with museum holdings indicating established populations in the region. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults likely possess elongated maxillary structures adapted for nectar feeding on flowers.
Pseudozonitis florida
Pseudozonitis florida is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The genus Pseudozonitis was established by Enns (1956) in his revision of North American Nemognathinae, distinguishing it from the related genera Nemognatha and Zonitis based on morphological characters. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults likely possess elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on floral nectar. The species epithet "florida" suggests a geographic association with Florida, though specific distribution records are sparse.
Pseudozonitis labialis
Twin-spotted Pseudozonitis
Pseudozonitis labialis is a blister beetle (family Meloidae) described by Enns in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. The species is known from North America and is one of several species in the genus Pseudozonitis, which was established by Enns in his 1956 revision of the nemognathine genera Nemognatha, Zonitis, and Pseudozonitis.
Pseudozonitis pallidus
Pseudozonitis pallidus is a blister beetle species in the family Meloidae, described by Dillon in 1952. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. The species occurs in North America. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults likely feed on floral resources, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented.
Pseudozonitis roseomaculatis
Pseudozonitis roseomaculatis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Dillon in 1952. As a member of the subfamily Nemognathinae, it possesses the characteristic elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on nectar from deep-corded flowers. The species is known from North America, though specific details regarding its biology, host associations, and habitat preferences remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.
Pseudozonitis schaefferi
Pseudozonitis schaefferi is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Blatchley in 1922. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers. The genus Pseudozonitis comprises approximately 14 described species in North America, with P. schaefferi being one of the less commonly encountered members. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults are likely associated with flowers for feeding, while larvae are probably parasitoids or predators of bee eggs and provisions in nest cells.
Pseudozonitis vaurieae
Pseudozonitis vaurieae is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Enns in 1956. It is distributed across Central America and North America. As a member of the Nemognathinae subfamily, it possesses the characteristic elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species is part of a genus that was revised by Enns in 1956, who proposed the genus Pseudozonitis to accommodate species previously placed in related genera.
Pseudozonitis vigilans
Pseudozonitis vigilans is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It was described by Fall in 1907. The species is native to North America and belongs to a genus characterized by elongated mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar.
Pseudozonitis vittipennis
Pseudozonitis vittipennis is a blister beetle (family Meloidae) in the subfamily Nemognathinae, described by Horn in 1875. It is one of approximately 12 species in the genus Pseudozonitis, a New World group characterized by elongated maxillae adapted for nectar feeding. The species is known from western North America, with records from the southwestern United States. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults are flower visitors and larvae are parasitoids or predators of other insects.
Rhyphonemognatha
Rhyphonemognatha is a monotypic genus of blister beetles in the family Meloidae, established by Enns in 1956. The genus contains a single described species, Rhyphonemognatha rufa (LeConte, 1856). These beetles belong to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by specialized larval biology involving parasitism or predation on bees and their nests.
Rhyphonemognatha rufa
Rose-winged Blister Beetle
Rhyphonemognatha rufa is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. It is commonly known as the Rose-winged Blister Beetle. The species occurs in the Americas, with records from North America, Middle America, and South America. Like other nemognathine blister beetles, adults likely visit flowers for nectar and pollen. The genus Rhyphonemognatha is distinguished by its elongated rostrum and is closely related to Nemognatha and Zonitis.
Tricrania
Tricrania is a genus of Nearctic blister beetles (Meloidae: Nemognathinae) containing at least three described species, including T. sanguinipennis and T. stansburyi. These beetles are obligate cleptoparasites of solitary bees, with highly modified life cycles involving hypermetamorphosis and flightless adults. The genus is notable for its specialized larval stages that exploit bee nest aggregations.
Zonitis
Zonitis is a genus of blister beetles in the family Meloidae, established by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. The genus belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, a group characterized by elongated, nectar-feeding mouthparts. Species of Zonitis are found in North America, with records from the southwestern United States and adjacent regions. Adults have been observed on flowers of various composite plants, particularly in arid and semi-arid habitats.
Zonitis cribricollis
Zonitis cribricollis is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The species was described by LeConte in 1853 and is known from North America. As a member of Nemognathinae, adults likely possess elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species name 'cribricollis' refers to a punctured or sieve-like collar (pronotum).
Zonitis interpretis
Zonitis interpretis is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, described by Enns in 1956. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, which is characterized by elongated adult mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers. The species is known to occur in North America. Like other members of its genus, adults likely visit flowers for feeding, while larvae are probably parasitoids of grasshopper egg pods, following the typical life history pattern for Nemognathinae.
Zonitis perforata
Zonitis perforata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Casey in 1891. The species is known from North America and belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, which is characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. Like other members of the genus Zonitis, it is likely associated with flowers of composite plants (Asteraceae), though specific host records for this species are limited.
Zonitis punctipennis
Zonitis punctipennis is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The species was described by LeConte in 1880 and is known from North America. Like other members of the genus Zonitis, adults are likely flower visitors with elongated mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. The species is represented by 35 specimens in the Entomology Research Museum collection (as of 2010).
Zonitis vermiculata
Zonitis vermiculata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Charles Schaeffer in 1905. It belongs to the genus Zonitis, a group of small to medium-sized meloid beetles characterized by their distinctive elytral patterns. The species is known from North America, with records from the southwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada. Like other members of the subfamily Nemognathinae, Zonitis species possess elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding on flowers.
Zonitis vittigera
brown blister beetle, Orange Blister Beetle
Zonitis vittigera is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, found in North America. The species is commonly known as the brown blister beetle or Orange Blister Beetle. It belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, which is characterized by elongated adult mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. Two subspecies are recognized: Z. v. vittigera and Z. v. propinqua.