Meloe

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Meloe
Meloe violaceus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Meloidae
Subfamily:	Meloinae
Tribe:	Meloini
Genus:	Meloe Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text
Synonyms
List Afromeloe Schmidt, 1913 Alveomeloe Pripisnova, 1986 Anchomeloe Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1983 Chiromeloë Reitter, 1911 Cnestocera Thomson, 1859 Cnetocera Reitter, 1911 Coeloemeloe Coelomeloë Reitter, 1911 Desertimeloe Kaszab, 1964 Lampromeloe Reitter, 1911 Lasiomeloë Reitter, 1911 Listromeloë Reitter, 1911 Meioe Fuessly, 1775 Melittophagus Kirby & Spence, 1828 Meloedubius Meloegonius Reitter, 1911 Meloenellus Reitter, 1911 Melve Fischer de Waldheim, 1803 Micromeloë Reitter, 1911 Proscarabaeus Schrank, 1781 Submeloegonius Pliginskii, 1935 Taphromeloe Reitter, 1911 Trapezimeloe Pliginskii, 1935 Treiodous Dugès, 1869 Treiodus Triungulinus Dufour, 1828

Meloe is a genus of blister beetles commonly referred to as oil beetles.^[1] The name derives from their defensive strategy: when threatened they release oily droplets of hemolymph from their joints (legs, neck, and antennae). This fluid is bright orange and contains cantharidin, a poisonous chemical compound. Wiping the chemical on skin can cause blistering and painful swelling of the skin. This defensive strategy is not exclusive to this genus; all meloids possess and exude cantharidin upon threat.