Toxic oil beetles (Meloe strigulosus) from the Bay area of CA. These beetles produce cantharidin as a potent chemical defense.

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Size: 5244px × 3500px
Location: California
Photo credit: © Anton Sorokin / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: antennae, beetle, beetles, black, blister, ca, california, cantharidin, close, coleoptera, contra, costa, county, eating, entomology, feeding, female, grass, insect, macro, male, mating, meloe, meloidae, oil, photo, poisonous, reproduction, strigulosus, terrestrial, toxic