ANOTHER AMARANTH PEST: BLISTER BEETLES

Authors: Wilson, Richard

Submitted to: Legacy
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Blister beetles, in the Coleoptera family Meloidae, can be sporadic pests of amaranth. They attack many other plants in addition to amaranth. The larvae are considered beneficial because they feed on grasshopper eggs laid in the soil. The adults are pests because they feed on leaves and flower parts of the amaranth plant. A chemical substance found in the beetles called cantharidin is highly toxic if ingested by animals, including humans. Blisters can be produced on the skin if contact is made with beetles.