Thelyphassa lineata
| Thelyphassa lineata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Oedemeridae |
| Genus: | Thelyphassa |
| Species: | T. lineata |
| Binomial name | |
| Thelyphassa lineata (Fabricius, 1775) | |
Thelyphassa lineata, the striped lax beetle, is a species of false blister beetle endemic to New Zealand.[1]
Description
Adults of the species are 15 mm long. The body is a golden-brown colour with two black stripes along either side of the abdomen and a single black stripe along the pronotum.[1][2]
Behaviour and diet
The grub of this species live in rotten forest logs. Adults are thought to feed on pollen and nectar.[1][2]
Toxicology
The striped lax beetle secretes cantharidin, a burn agent that causes skin blisters on contact.[1] This was first observed in the late 1980s when 74 personnel from the New Zealand Army reported blistered skin after coming into contact with the species.[3]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thelyphassa lineata.
- 1 2 3 4 "T.E.R:R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network - Beetle (Lax) Striped (Thelyphassa lineata) ". www.terrain.net.nz. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- 1 2 "Striped lax beetle". Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ↑ Christmas, T. I.; Nicholls, D.; Holloway, B. A.; Greig, D. (1987-08-26). "Blister beetle dermatosis in New Zealand". The New Zealand Medical Journal. 100 (830): 515–517. ISSN 0028-8446. PMID 3330591.